Staffordshire railway station is to get £3m upgrade
A £3 million upgrade of a Staffordshire train station used by two million passengers a year has begun. Network Rail announced today the start of the nine-month project to improve the 1960s-built station in Stafford.
The revamp scheme will see the resurfacing work on the platforms and the roof coverings being replaced to provide travellers with protection against the elements. More than two million passengers use the station, which is on the West Coast Mainline, every year.
Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy said: "I'm delighted with the news, I think the station was in need of a facelift and this will provide it with the needed improvements. The station has a good atmosphere and helpful staff, but for some time it has needed work to fit the needs of the millions of people who use it every year.
"I hope these improvements will give people a proper welcome to the town when they arrive."
The work follows resurfacing of platforms one and three last year and will see the remaining three platforms receive similar treatment. New canopy roof coverings will be built over all platforms to provide protection against the weather to rail users.
Concrete
A missing opaque glazing panel on the footbridge that links the platforms and the lifts will be replaced while the timber cladding will be repaired and repainted.
Sections of the platforms have already been fenced off and scaffolding will be put up on the platforms over several weekends from the end of this month.
Jo Kaye, Network Rail's route managing director, said: "Stafford is a typical early 1960s concrete station built in what was then a modernistic style.
"Time has taken its toll on the building so we are putting right some of the problems it currently has."
The investment comes at a time of uncertainty over the West Coast Mainline contract. Earlier this month Virgin was told it could temporarily continue running the line after it emerged there had been major flaws in the bidding process for a new contract.
