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Thursday 12 Sep 2013

Planning permission granted for new station in Rochester

Region & Route:

| Southern

Network Rail has been granted planning permission to build a new station in Rochester.

Medway Council approved plans last night and the new station, which will be built on land at Corporation Street, will help meet the ever increasing demand for train services in the Medway area

It is part of a wider £135m investment programme in the county by Network Rail as the number of passengers using the railway continues to grow. The station will have three platforms, all of which will be able to accommodate longer trains with up to 12 carriages, and better facilities for passengers including accessible toilets with baby changing facilities, cycle racks and retail. There will also be step-free access to all platforms and improved station car parking.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail’s route managing director for Kent, said: “This new station will deliver a huge boost to Rochester and Medway and provide passengers with improved facilities and better access to the town centre and surrounding area.

“It will accommodate longer trains than the current station, helping boost capacity and providing more seats for passengers. It will also help kick-start the wider regeneration of the Riverside area, which is an important part of the development and future of Rochester.”

Cllr Rodney Chambers, Medway Council Leader and Regeneration Lead, said: “The fact that this scheme has got the go ahead is very good news. It will lead to a new, better train station for Rochester, which will result in a quicker, more reliable service with more space for passengers.

“Rochester – like the rest of Medway – is benefiting from regeneration and more and more people are viewing it as a place to buy a family home and commute from. The number of rail passengers is forecast to grow significantly and freeing up this space for a new station will not only improve the service for commuters and other passengers, but also make sure it grows with future demand.”

Charles Horton, managing director of Southeastern, said: “This is terrific news for Rochester and part of our ongoing commitment with Network Rail to invest in and improve rail services for passengers in Kent. Since we commenced running the rail franchise we’ve seen a huge amount of improvement work across our network - including three major station rebuilds at a cost of £25 million - and we’re pleased to see an improvement in passenger satisfaction as a result. This new station at Rochester will provide fantastic new facilities for passengers and station staff and it will help meet the needs of our busy and growing railway.”

The east Kent resignalling project will see £135m invested in the railway by winter 2015. It includes extending platforms at Strood station, an additional platform at Rainham station, renewing signalling equipment between Longfield and Sittingbourne and Beltring and Strood, upgrading seven level crossings, and reducing journey times between Rochester and Meopham.

The investment is part of Network Rail’s continued upgrade of the railway and will contribute to reduced passenger journey times, lower operating costs and a more reliable infrastructure.

Work is due to start in October and be completed in winter 2015. The new station will be operated by Southeastern.

For more information on plans for a new station in Rochester or the wider east Kent resignalling project contact Network Rail on 08457 114141.