MINISTER of State for Transport Theresa Villiers dropped in at Warrington to officially open the new, re-vamped Central Station.
Warrington Central is the 150th station across the UK to benefit from the National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP).
Some £150 million has been invested by the Government in the scheme and the Warrington project cost about £700,000.
The station has a new entrance, refurbished interior, disabled access, etc.
Ms Villiers said: “The National Stations Improvement Programme is a vital part of our overall investment because it helps to transform individual passengers’ experiences.
“I am delighted that we have reached this important milestone because it means hundreds of thousands of passengers are now benefitting from better facilities and hence better rail journeys.”
Vernon Barker, managing director of First TransPennine Express said: “We are delighted that Warrington Central is the 150th station to be completed under the NSIP programme which has improved station access on our network and at stations around the country.
“Customers using Warrington Central will really benefit from these improvements. Not only does the station now look a lot more attractive but it is fully accessible for all and the customer facilities are excellent. The works will definitely complement the previous advancements such as of the waiting areas, customer amenities and lift installations.
“The investment provided by ourselves, NSIP and Warrington Borough Council will certainly pay dividends and I’d like to thank customers for their patience whilst we have worked to deliver a first class station for them.”
Pictures: the new station exterior and (right) the Minister unveil a commemorative plaque.
4 Comments
Point to note: It had disabled access prior to this revamp. All they have done is turn the ramp round which now means those disabled customers coming from Town have further to go to get into the station!. All cosmetic and I repeat a waste of money.
the term polishing a turd springs to mind!
It looks like a tin can on a plank, who actually chose that design?
What a total waste of money! Who is going to remove the trees and weeds growing out of the roof and gutters that is clearly visible from Midland Way? Who authorises these collosal amounts of money and who are they responsible to? Does the public within the Town not have any say in just what is put up in the Town. We only seem to hear about things after the event. Both our Train Stations are in need of serious money being spent to bring them into the 21st century in stead of the cosmetic things that have so far been done.