Damage and repairs
Railway Heritage Trust Executive Director Andy Savage has told RAIL that the fire damage at Nottingham station is “eminently repairable”, amid fears that large parts of the historical fabric of the station could be lost forever.
Opened in 1904, the iconic main station building escaped any serious fire damage and remains a proud example of Edwardian Baroque Revival-style architecture.
On January 18, Savage personally inspected the most badly damaged areas that remain sealed off to the public - having been granted permission by Network Rail.
He told RAIL: “The station is one of a set of three - Nottingham, Sheffield and Leicester - that were redeveloped by the Midland Railway at the turn of the century in reaction to the arrival of the Great Central Railway. It is a really wonderful station which is fantastically preserved, and it would have been a tragedy had we lost any of it.
“Like everyone else, I saw the news and thought the damage was going to be extremely bad. The damage is not good, but not as bad as we thought. Only one area has been very badly damaged which is eminently repairable, and the level of heritage restoration work will be pretty minimal.
“The fire brigade was brilliant and managed to attack the fire from all sides, as well as soaking the wooden footbridge to prevent it spreading. The station was back up and running extremely quickly, so full marks to EMT and Network Rail. And credit to the fire service, too.”
The majority of the damage appears to have been sustained by the newer glass-fronted southern concourse of the station, that was opened in 2014 as part of a £60 million redevelopment of Nottingham station.
The Railway Heritage Trust contributed £400,000 towards the cost of this work, which included pedestrianisation of the station’s porte cochère and restoration of original features and distinctive terracotta brickwork.
Savage added: “It’s not quite the largest grant we’ve ever made but it’s right up there, so it’s extremely frustrating to see Nottingham station damaged in this way.”