Future station designs prioritise community aspects and better connectivity

Nine priorities have been identified to guide the design, development and procurement of railway stations.

Commissioned by Network

Rail and published by the

Design Council on June 29, the ThinkStation report seeks to provide a framework for the future design of local stations. The priorities are:

Support existing and new communities in their local area.

Reflect and embody local character and heritage.

Provide consistent quality of space and service.

Establish connections with and between the town centre and/or the High Street.

Celebrate, improve the quality of and/or provide access to green and open spaces.

Be welcoming and facilitate inclusive travel.

Support and better integrate cross-modal transport.

Help to address climate change.

Ensure longevity by accommodating changes of use, capacity and trends.

Network Rail Professional Head of Buildings and Architecture Anthony Dewar said: “We wanted to put passengers and stakeholders at the heart of the next generation of railway stations.

“The ambition here is to raise the quality of design across our network as well as responding to the evolving role of infrastructure within communities. Eighty per cent of our stations need to be integrated into smaller urban and rural contexts and this report creates a framework that can then be made appropriate to each community and its needs.

“This report envisions stations that value communities, connectivity and stronger placemaking. We want to make that happen through the upcoming competition and across our portfolio.”