Network Rail's New Station Fund - likely bidders?

[jon0844]

Impressive as the photo looks, why is it costing that much?

 

[Eagle]

I believe a lot of the cost was because a second track (with all the appropriate signalling and pointwork and such) needed to be put in. Now that the line is probably being partially dualled anyway because of the electric spine, plans will probably change.

 

[WatcherZero]

Makes you wonder if their holding back another £5m station approval for a Minister to arrive for photo opportunity. Though this one is a bit more nebulous with no predicted opening date and likely being run as part of the electrification programme rather than as a stand-alone project.

 

[swt_passenger]

I believe a lot of the cost was because a second track (with all the appropriate signalling and pointwork and such) needed to be put in. Now that the line is probably being partially dualled anyway because of the electric spine, plans will probably change.

Wasn't one of the requirements of this particular fund that the work had to be both 'stand alone' and shovel ready? In other words the funds were for the station only, as the redoubling was already in the HLOS? But if the site requires lifts and footbridges, access roads etc etc, it could easily be a factor of 3 or 4 times some of the others, of which at least one is a single track station.

Similarly the fund was not supposed to be used if the station would impact on service patterns, or existing timetables. All a bit odd really.

 

[WatcherZero]

Ive heard the earliest this station could possibly open would be December 2016, and thats the earliest, possibly as late as 2019.

 

[Eagle]

But if the site requires lifts and footbridges, access roads etc etc, it could easily be a factor of 3 or 4 times some of the others, of which at least one is a single track station.

The plan is for a staffed station with a new-build ticket office and a footbridge with lifts. A new access road is not needed because it's the old station site so it's already on a road, but an adjacent timberyard (whose owners agreed to sell up years ago as soon as construction started) will become the car park, taxi rank and bus stop.

Of course, all these plans were drawn up and approved by the council before the electrification was announced, so there may be some changes to the scheme needed.