£82M RAIL STATION PROJECT TAKES A MAJOR STEP FORWARD
> NAOMI DE SOUZA REPORTS:
WORK on Coventry’s £82 million rail station masterplan has taken a major step forward with the steel frame of the new eight-storey station building now in place.
The project, which includes the construction of a new car park, is set to ramp up further next month.
An 80m crane that will “dominate the Coventry skyline” is due to arrive on the site, and work will then start on the extension of the pedestrian boulevard and the creation of a new taxi rank.
Coventry City Council said the project is on course to meet its completion deadline of Spring 2021.
Once completed, the station building will be home to five retail units, passenger waiting rooms and bathroom facilities and a 633-space multi-storey car park.
Speaking about the latest developments, Councillor Jim O’boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration at Coventry City Council and board director of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), said: “It’s really exciting to see the beginnings of the new eight-storey station building now with the steel framework in place.
“The first two lift shafts and stairs are already complete and this really gives a sense of how impressive it will be.
“Coventry is the fastest-growing station outside London and this investment will ensure it can keep growing as well as providing a more fitting welcome to the city.
“Next month will see some major milestones on the project including the arrival of an 80m crane to lift in the new footbridge. Work will also start to extend the pedestrian boulevard right up to the front door of the station.”
Reassuring the public, Cllr O’boyle added: “As with any big job like this we have to make temporary road and pavement diversions and we thank people for their patience while this work is ongoing. It will all be worth it once the work is complete next year.”
As reported in the Telegraph, the first pieces of steel were put in place for the new station building in July.
Under the new scheme, the buildings are set to be accessible from both Warwick Road and Station Square, and will offer step free access to all platforms by way of a new footbridge and lifts.
As a result of the work there have been changes to access ways and the road layout, something that motorists will be well familiar with when using the roads around the station.
The £27 million station building and car park is being delivered by Coventry City Council, working with Network Rail and Buckingham Group Contracting Limited (BGCL).
The overall investment also involves building a new footbridge, a new transport interchange connected directly to the new station building by an access tunnel under Warwick Road, highway improvements and public realm works to create a traffic-free boulevard from the front of the station.
The project is being carried out by a number of partners, from both the Coventry side, and the railway infrastructure side. Coventry City Council are working with Network Rail, Avanti West Coast and other rail operators, Transport for West Midlands, Friargate Coventry LLP and other stakeholders.
The Coventry Station Masterplan project has received £39.4 million from the West Midlands Combined Authority Devolution Deal, £27 million from the Government’s Local Growth Fund through the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) and funds from Coventry City Council.
Coventry is the fastest-growing station outside London and this investment will ensure it can keep growing.
Cllr Jim O’boyle