Friends, Romans, Passengers, lend me your ears: Stratford-upon-Avon station is getting a refurb

Friday, 15 February 2019

A busy railway station on the Shakespeare line is getting an upgrade.

Project partners Network Rail, West Midlands Railway and Warwickshire County Council are working to give Stratford-upon-Avon station a range of upgrades. These will include new waiting and seating areas, improved retail facilities, accessible toilets, and bicycle racks.

Rod Sillence, stage manager for Network Rail, said: “Much ado about nothing this is not. The £1.5m of improvements at Stratford will give station users a more pleasant experience.”

The work, part of Britain’s Railway Upgrade Plan, started on Friday 15 February, with the delivery of a temporary ticket facility outside the station to keep the show on the road during the station’s refurbishment.

Major construction work on the main upgrades will begin late March. Work is expected to be finished in July.

Brenda Lawrence, head of stations for West Midlands Railway, said: “The investment at Stratford-upon-Avon will significantly improve the experience for our passengers.

“People may see some changes around the station over the next few months while work takes place, so we advise those travelling to allow a bit of extra time to get to and from the platforms. However, trains will continue to operate as normal and ticket purchasing facilities will remain in place throughout the work.”

Cllr Jeff Clarke, portfolio holder for transport and planning at Warwickshire County Council, said: "Warwickshire County Council is happy that Stratford-upon-Avon Station is getting the refurbishment it needs, including a new booking hall, waiting room and increased facilities. Warwickshire County Council aims to ensure that passengers and visitors get the best and easiest travel experience when visiting our County.

“Once complete, Stratford-upon-Avon station will better serve the local residents and thousands of visitors who come to Stratford every year to see the many sights in the town."

The production is being funded by £1.3m from the Department of Transport’s National Stations Improvement Programme fund.

Warwickshire County Council, the local transport authority, has contributed a further £220,000.

Ends

About West Midlands Trains

For further information on this release, call our press office on 03300 955150 or email [email protected]

West Midlands Trains operates both West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services.

• London Northwestern Railway services operate between Liverpool and Birmingham, and on the West Coast mainline to and from London Euston.

• West Midlands Railway services operate to destinations across the West Midlands via Birmingham New Street.

For more information on these services visit westmidlandsrailway.co.uk or londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk

The West Midlands Trains franchise started on 10 December 2017 and will run until 2025/26.

West Midlands Trains operates 1,300 services a day, manages 150 stations and provides over 70 million passenger journeys a year. Over the course of the franchise, West Midlands Trains will be investing £1 billion into the rail network to deliver new trains, improved routes and station upgrades. This will include 400 new train carriages across the network and space for an extra 85,000 passengers into Birmingham and London at peak times.

The franchise is a joint venture between Abellio (70.1% share) and East Japan Railway Company / Mitsui & Co., Ltd (29.9% share in a 50:50 split). Abellio is the international passenger transport subsidiary of the Dutch national railway company, Nederlandse Spoorwegen. In the UK, Abelllio operates ScotRail and Greater Anglia train services, Merseyrail services in a joint venture with Serco and buses through Abellio London. For more information visit www.abellio.com

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