Media centre

Monday 10 Oct 2005

PASSENGERS TO BENEFIT FROM STATION INVESTMENT BILLIONS

Region & Route:

National

Network Rail has announced plans to launch an ambitious multi-billion pound, ten-year modernisation scheme for its stations. The company has identified the need for up to £4bn of additional private-partner investment in stations across the network. This programme will enhance capacity at stations, improve facilities and provide opportunities for commercial development. Whilst the primary focus of the company remains the operation of Britain’s railway infrastructure Network Rail is now looking for partners with the expertise to help take forward the first wave of stations to be redeveloped under these joint-venture schemes. Major London stations: In addition to the advanced plans already announced for King’s Cross and Paddington, Network Rail has signalled that it will go to market on proposals for Euston and Victoria by the end of this year, shortly followed by Waterloo. These are prime development sites – Euston has a comparable area to Canary Wharf – and there is huge scope for development opportunities, whether retail, offices or even residential. Larger regional stations: Up to 50 larger regional stations – owned by Network Rail but managed by train operating companies – have been recognised as needing upgrades, to increase capacity and / or improve facilities. Many of these are Victorian structures and are struggling to cope with the highest level of passenger numbers since the 1960s and greater public expectations for facilities. Redevelopment schemes, again with private-partner investment of stations such as these can drive regeneration as gateways to Britain’s towns and cities. Hundreds of small stations across the network: At smaller stations all over the country, instead of previous piecemeal upgrades, Network Rail plans to bundle sites together into clusters and offer them as attractive packages to single developers. This will enable a wider range of facilities to be introduced along a whole line of route ensuring that stations of any size across the network will better cater to passengers’ needs. John Armitt, Network Rail’s Chief Executive commented: “With punctuality improving and new trains on much of the network, public perception of the railway is rising all the time. Stations are the ‘shop window’ of the railway and are next in line for investment and modernisation. “Our plans may well be ambitious, but they fuse imagination with reality in order to leverage additional private capital into improving our assets. This will result in upgraded facilities that passengers rightly demand and, for commercial partners, the right to exploit some of Britain’s most landmark development sites. ”With the greatest number of people using the railways in four decades, public expectation of first-class facilities at stations is increasing. Our schemes aim to achieve just that.”