12.03.13
DfT and NR assess 14 bids to build new stations
Bids for cash from the £20m new stations fund include a parkway station near Worcester, a station at Kenilworth in Warwickshire, a scheme in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, and stations in Low Moor, Bradford, the village of Haxby, near York, and Warrington West.
The Government has welcomed the level of interest shown in the new stations fund and says it is currently assessing the 14 bids, with an announcement expected later this month.
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “I welcome the interest we have seen in the stations fund, this shows the government was right to introduce this brand new scheme. There have already been calls for the scheme to go further and we will certainly be looking at how we can develop it in the future. This represents just a small part of the multi-billion pound package of improvements for our railways, providing real benefits for passengers and industry.”
Councils, TOCs and developers have been encouraged to apply for the scheme, with successful applicants also required to provide a percentage of funding.
Applications are being assessed by a cross-industry panel, including representatives from Network Rail and the DfT, who are being advised by ATOC and the Campaign for Better Transport.
The fund was announced in July last year as part of the statement accompanying the 2012 High Level Output Statement (HLOS). It is designed to deliver new stations which are sustainable in the long term, so bidders had to set out how the station will be operated, including staffing and maintenance implications. The fund will typically contribute up to 75% of the capital cost of a new station.
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