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Wednesday 3 Mar 2010

ROCHDALE GETS £300,000 MAKEOVER

Region & Route:

Passengers are set to benefit from improvements at Rochdale station thanks to a joint investment of £300,000 from Network Rail, train operator Northern Rail and Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA).

The work, which is about to start, is part of the National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP) initiative, backed by the Department for Transport, to bring about a noticeable and lasting improvement in the environment at stations.

Lee Wasnidge, area director, Northern Rail said: “This will deliver a brighter, more comfortable and secure station environment for passengers at Rochdale.  We look forward to delivering similar benefits for passengers at other stations across the network through our partnership with Network Rail and NSIP.”

Network Rail route director Jo Kaye said: “The work is made possible because of a successful industry partnership, which aims to bring the best to passengers.  Network Rail and Northern will continue to work hard on bringing the improvement work at the station to fruition and develop further NSIP plans across the North West.”

Transport Minister Chris Mole said: "The Government's funding for this upgrade will result in much-improved facilities for rail passengers travelling through Rochdale station. We are committed to increasing capacity on the rail network and better stations are crucial to improve the experience of passengers as services increase.

"We are dedicated to transforming stations throughout the country - increasing security, improving disabled access, modernising facilities, lengthening platforms and helping passengers with their journeys."

Councillor Keith Whitmore, chair of GMITA, said: “We are delighted to be able to contribute to this work at Rochdale station as part of our ongoing commitment to NSIP. Once the work has been completed, we should see the station become brighter, more secure and more passenger-friendly, helping to make journeys more convenient and enjoyable.”

Toilets at the station will have new tiles and lighting, will be completely redecorated and a second WC will be brought back into use in the ladies facility

Repairs will be carried out in the station subway, which will then be redecorated, and new handrails will be fitted to the staircase. Flooring on the intermediate staircase landing will be replaced and the exterior station canopy will be repaired and painted. The subway will also have new customer information screens fitted.

The station CCTV system is to be upgraded and the number of cameras increased from two to 11 to cover pervious ‘black spot’ areas. The colour of the light bulbs will be changed from yellow to white to assist with increasing security at the station

Two new enclosed waiting areas, covered by the new CCTV cameras, will be provided on the platforms, and there will also be additional public address speakers and information screens.

The work, which is being project managed and delivered by Northern, is due to be completed in the summer.