Three Greater Manchester Railway stations are set to host community hubs, which will open in Spring 2023.
The scheme will see the delivery of these hubs to Altrincham, Heaton Chapel, and Trafford Park, offering the communities an area for groups or small businesses to utilise. This project was established via The Station Alliance, comprising representation from Northern, Network Rail, Transport for Greater Manchester, London Continental Railway and GMCVO.
Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern said:
“This fantastic scheme will mean our stations will become centres for the community.
At Northern, we want our stations are more than just places to travel to and from, we want to put our customers at the heart of everything we do.”
Altrincham will see the renovation of an old storeroom and the current customer information point at platform 4, transforming the space into ‘The Hub’, consisting of two large spaces for community use. These will be accompanied by a brand-new waiting room, whilst Northern staff will continue to provide the passenger assistance to customers on platform 4.
Heaton Chapel’s transformation will come via an unused area on the first floor of the main station entrance building being renovated for a meeting room and workspace, whilst at Trafford Park, space has been found to create a room for use by local health practitioners.
Vernon Everitt, transport commissioner for Greater Manchester, said:
“Stations and public transport services are at the heart of unlocking new opportunities for small businesses and residents. This excellent scheme provides much needed space at stations for people to collaborate on ideas and projects and are a very welcome new focal point for our local communities.”
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