Wednesday 13 Feb 2013
Work starts on improvements at Llandudno station
- Region & Route:
- | Wales & Western: Wales & Borders
- | Wales & Western
Network Rail has started work on the construction of a new car park as part of the £5.1m project to improve Llandudno station.
The scheme is being delivered by Network Rail on behalf of the Welsh Government and is part of the Department for Transport's National Stations Improvement Programme. The project has been supported by the European Regional Development Fund, through the Welsh Government.
The work will improve passenger facilities at the station and make rail travel a more attractive option for people in the local area.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “This scheme joins a number of other rail improvement projects in North Wales that will help deliver better journeys and boost economic growth in the area. The work at Llandudno will provide a welcoming gateway to the resort and we would like to thank people for their patience while we improve their station.”
The Minister with responsibility for Transport, Carl Sargeant, said: "The upgrade of Llandudno Station is the first in a new package of station improvements that the Welsh Government is supporting as we strive to make rail travel more comfortable and attractive to the public.
"In addition to providing a positive first impression for visitors to Llandudno this project will also provide a boost to the local economy as local employment will be used in the refurbishment of the station."
Conwy County Borough Council cabinet member, Councillor Philip Evans, said “I’m very pleased to see work start on site and these long-standing plans becoming a reality. Once these improvements are complete, the railway station will be a great asset to Llandudno - creating an excellent first impression of the town for visitors.”
Andy Savage, executive director, Railway Heritage Trust, said: “The Trust is delighted that the restoration of the station is finally underway. It looks forward to the completion of this excellent combination of old and new, which will finally giving Llandudno the station it deserves.”
An Arriva Trains Wales spokesperson said: “We look forward to the improvement to Llandudno station and will work closely with our partners to ensure the new station is a success for our customers.”
Network Rail will be displaying the plans for the new station and providing further information regarding the programme of works at the station. This will be supported by the Llandudno Museum who will be providing a display of the full history of the station from 1852 to present day.
A public open day will be held at the Assembly Rooms, Town Hall, Lloyd Street, Llandudno, on Thursday 21 February between 10am and 4pm.
If customers have any additional questions or concerns, they should visit www.networkrail.co.uk or call the 24-hour national helpline on 08457 11 41 41.
Notes to editors
The planned refurbishment of Llandudno Station has benefited from a £3.5m Welsh Government investment including European Regional Development Fund structural funding, £1.5m from the Department for Transport’s National Stations Improvement Programme and a further £150,000 from the Railway Heritage Trust.
Other partners and key supporters of the scheme are the local train operator, Arriva Trains Wales (ATW), the station leaseholder, and Conwy County Borough Council.
The Wales Station Improvement Programme (NSIP+) is a major funding scheme for improving stations in the Convergence areas of Wales, benefiting from European Regional Development Fund grant.
Providing a more pleasant environment for station users, the new station frontage will be in keeping with the Victorian architecture of the town. Together with an improved bus interchange facility, the enhanced station will become an integral part of Llandudno’s tourism and leisure economy.
Facilities will include a new ticket office and retail outlet designed to meet the Department of Transport’s code for disabled people; the removal and upgrade of passenger toilets and an upgrade of the station’s concourse areas and customer information systems.
Doors, entrances and lighting will all be refurbished and new seating installed. The concourse area will feature a new glass curtain wall and there will be a new car parking area for up to 50 cars as well as car and taxi drop-off points.
A bus lay-by with two bus stops will be created at the front of the station and there will be additional bicycle storage facilities. Walkways to the station car park will also be improved.
The work will be delivered by Buckingham Group Contactors Ltd using Mott MacDonald as the designer. The project is scheduled for completion by early 2014.
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 -Western route
MediaRelationsWestern@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.
Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk