Thursday 26 Sep 2019
Tests start to find out what lies beneath Kidsgrove station
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central
Surveys are due to take place at Kidsgrove station in Staffordshire after unmapped underground mine shafts delayed work to improve accessibility for passengers.
Network Rail began work on the multi-million-pound 'Access for All' upgrade of the station in 2018 but had to pause work on site earlier this year because of poor ground conditions.
Over the next six weeks investigations will take place to find out exactly what needs to be done so building work can resume. The project is part of the rail industry's Railway Upgrade Plan.
Deborah Fairweather, Network Rail sponsor, said: “We understand the frustration to station-users at Kidsgrove who were looking forward to these much-needed improvements as part of Britain's Railway Upgrade Plan. We are working hard to restore this project and get it delivered, and these specialist surveys are the next step of that process.
"We are working closely with the station operator, East Midlands Railway, to ensure our work brings as little disruption as possible to passengers at the station.”
Neil Grabham, customer services director for East Midlands Railway, said: "We know our passengers and the local community are keenly awaiting the improvements at Kidsgrove and it is good news the project is again moving forward.
"Although the station will look different during these works there will be no changes to our services so our passengers can continue to travel with confidence and we look forward to the successful completion of the work."
As part of the Department for Transport’s ‘Access for All’ programme new lifts and a footbridge are being installed at Kidsgrove station to ensure it's accessible for everyone.
The vital upgrade will see lifts built at either side of platforms 1,2, 3 and 4 with the new footbridge linking the platforms.
The work will not disrupt trains, but the station will look and feel different for passengers while construction continues.
For more information on the 'Access for All' programme visit www.networkrail.co.uk/access-for-all.
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We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
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