Wilmslow station’s heritage platform canopies restored for passengers

Tuesday 22 Aug 2023

Wilmslow station’s heritage platform canopies restored for passengers

Region & Route:: North West & Central; | North West & Central: North West

Rail passengers on a major route through Cheshire are now benefiting from a £1.6m upgrade to Wilmslow station.

Since February 2022, Network Rail teams have been carrying out extensive restoration work to the Victorian platform canopies which provide shelter for passengers on the station’s four platforms.

The essential upgrades have involved:

Replacement of primary timber beams
Replacement of platform glazing
Replacement of canopy timber cladding
Preparation and painting
Additional structural repairs of existing timber beams
Partial reroofing work

The canopies were first built when the station opened in 1842 and have had ongoing maintenance over the years.

However when work started last year they were in need of a complete overhaul, with some steelwork corroded, flaking paintwork, dirty glazing and temporary structural props needed in certain areas.

Now this latest renovation is complete, the Victorian canopies are looking good as new for people using the Manchester to Crewe line.

Mike Cheadle, Network Rail senior asset engineer, said: “We take great care to look after our heritage buildings and this work at Wilmslow shows how we’re committed to keeping the railway fit for the future while respecting its past.

“This major £1.6m investment we hope will make a huge difference for Northern passengers on the Manchester to Crewe line, creating a cleaner and brighter environment and improving their journeys for many years to come.”

Craig Harrop, regional director for Northern, said: “Wilmslow station is looking better than ever following this investment by Network Rail. Customers rightly expect their local heritage to be respected and I know the 1.7 million customers that use the station every year will appreciate the restoration work that has taken place.”

To read more about how Network Rail looks after heritage structures, visit: www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-are/our-history/working-with-railway-heritage/

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Network Rail press office - North West & Central Region
07740 782954
NWCmediarelations@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

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.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.