OwlMan
Established Member
It looks like the Coventry Station revamp will get the go-ahead this week
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/n...on-plans-transform-coventrys-railway-15404640
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/n...on-plans-transform-coventrys-railway-15404640
£82million plans to transform Coventry's railway station to take step closer
The plans are described as a "complete modernisation of the train station"
An £82million plan to transform Coventry's railway station and create a "major transport hub" for the city is set to be rubber-stamped by the council.
The scheme, which is led by the Labour-run authority, is being taken to the council's planning committee on Thursday, November 15, after years of fine-tuning.
Plans include a second station building to provide a second entrance facing onto Warwick Road, with the site also housing five retail units.
A bus interchange service will also connect to the station via a new access tunnel underneath, which is already under development.
A second footbridge will then connect all four platforms, while a new bay platform will allow for two trains per hour between Coventry and Nuneaton.
Additionally, the project includes a 644-space multi-storey car park and road improvements, including a new road connecting Central Six to the Ring Road.
The revised Coventry railway station masterplan
Costs have markedly increased from the initial £20-£30m estimates but the plan is seen as key to the city's growth.
Coventry's population is expected to rise by around 15 per cent, the equivalent of 50,000 people, by 2021 - the fastest in the West Midlands.
The number of passengers is also growing year-on-year, rising 80 per cent to 5.4million passengers between 2008 and 2012, with numbers expected to rise double by 2043.
£11m extra - the rising cost of redeveloping Coventry railway station
Work is hoped to be completed by the end of 2020, and the city council's cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, Councillor Jim O'Boyle, feels upgrades are long overdue.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The station is the fastest growing rail station outside of London, but it hasn't had any serious upgrades since it was built in the 60s. It has needed these.
"People want a good impression when they come to a city. Now people's first impression will be a brand new station, walk out to the boulevard, and then walk straight into the city centre.
"£82m is a significant investment. It is a complete modernisation of the train station.
"But it's not just about making the station nicer, it's practical in terms of making sure that people use that important transport corridor of Nuneaton down to Leamington, and fulfilling the opportunities that the Ricoh presents.
"People come to the station to go to Coventry University, to Warwick University, for links to Jaguar down in Whitley and of course the hospital, so having a station which is a major transport hub is really key to our overall development and transport offer as a city, and that's important."
A council report published ahead of the meeting said the plan is acceptable and "provides a high quality building which will provide the extra station capacity required".
Rail operators including Network Rail and Virgin Trains are partnered in the proposals, as are stakeholders including Transport for West Midlands and Friargate Coventry.
Funding is already in place with grants from West Midlands Combined Authority, CWLEP Growth Deal, Department for Transport, and the council.