There were four press releases produced.
Announcement of Fund (24th January 2013)
Update on Fund (11th March 2013)
Announcement of Four Successful Bids (15th May 2013)
Announcement of Fifth Successful Bid (12th December 2013)
£20 million new stations fund to bring rail services closer to people’s doorsteps.
New stations will be built in smaller towns bringing rail services closer to people’s doorsteps thanks to £20 million of government funding announced today (24 January 2013) by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.
The new stations fund, managed by Network Rail, will help build and open new railway stations in England and Wales. It is targeted at ‘shovel ready’ projects which can be delivered quickly to provide long-term benefits to passengers and the economy.
Local authorities, train operating companies and developers are being encouraged to apply for the funding which will go towards construction costs of building new stations. Bids must be submitted by February 25.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:
The railways play a key role in our lives whether it is delivering benefits to the economy, providing vital transport link for commuters or helping friends and family keep in contact. We are determined to improve this vital service and building new stations will provide that boost.
We recognise that local communities are often best placed to deliver their own transport solutions and I would therefore encourage anyone with a credible and worthwhile business plan to apply for this vital extra funding.
Proposals must be at an advanced stage of development and be supported by the relevant local authority, train operating companies and Network Rail. Successful applicants will also be required to provide a percentage of funding themselves.
Applications will be assessed by a cross-industry panel, including representatives from Network Rail and the Department for Transport, with an announcement on successful bids made in the summer.
14 new station fund bids expected later this month
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has welcomed the interest shown in the government’s new stations fund following the launch of the £20 million scheme.
The Department for Transport and industry representatives are currently working hard to assess 14 bids with an announcement expected to be made later this month.
The fund, which was launched in January, is targeted at ‘shovel ready’ projects which can be delivered quickly to provide long-term benefits to passengers and the economy.
Bids include a parkway station near Worcester, a station at Kenilworth in Warwickshire and a scheme in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. Bids have also been received for stations in Low Moor, Bradford, the village of Haxby, near York, and Warrington West.
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.
Local authorities, train operating companies and developers have been encouraged to apply for the scheme, with successful applicants also required to provide a percentage of funding.
Applications are currently being assessed by a cross-industry panel, including representatives from Network Rail and the Department for Transport.
Derbyshire get £6.5 million for new railway station
Plans for a new railway £6.5 million station in Derbyshire were unveiled today by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.
The new station at Ilkeston was given the green light alongside 3 other stations in the UK after successfully applying for funding under the New Station Fund.
The fund is part of £37 billion worth of investment spent from 2014 to 2019, which will modernise the railways and provide massive benefits to both passengers and the UK economy.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:
Funding this new station illustrates our commitment to working with community and national partners to meet local transport needs that not only deliver real benefits to passengers but also improves the network.
This is another example of the government’s determination to transform the railways as we continue to push forward with the biggest programme of rail investment ever.
The fund, managed by Network Rail, was announced at the end of January when local authorities, train operating companies and developers were invited to bid for funding towards the construction costs of brand new stations.
The successful bids announced today are:
- Ilkeston, Derbyshire, which will receive over £4.5 million of DfT funding towards a scheme worth over £6.5 million
- Newcourt, Devon, where the DfT will pay for around half of the scheme expected to cost in the region of £1.5 million
- Lea Bridge, London Borough of Waltham Forest, which will receive over £1 million towards a scheme worth in excess of £6.5 million
- Pye Corner, Newport, which will receive over £2.5 million towards a scheme worth over £3.5 million
Scheme sponsor Derbyshire County Council will now work with Network Rail to finalise the Ilkeston station plans with the new station planned to open before the end of 2014.
Green light for Kenilworth Station
Plans for a new £11.3 million station in Kenilworth have been given final approval today (12 December 2013) under the government’s multi-million pound New Stations Fund.
The Department for Transport has approved the allocation of £5 million from the fund following confirmation that the station can be built without adversely impacting other network improvements. The station will significantly improve connectivity for passengers and businesses across the West Midlands.
Construction of the station paves the way for new local services to start running between Coventry, Kenilworth and Leamington Spa in December 2016.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:
The government recognises the importance of strong transport links for local communities and the economy. That is why we have been working hard to make sure Kenilworth station becomes a reality.
This will provide real benefits both to passengers and to local businesses, providing improved connectivity across the West Midlands and to London, and helping create jobs.
This is further proof of the government’s determination to transform the network through our record levels of investment.
In July the Transport Secretary announced he was minded to approve the bid from project sponsor Warwickshire County Council, subject to further work being carried out by Network Rail to assess its viability.
Future work to improve the network could mean direct local electric trains running via Kenilworth to Birmingham in 2019.
The £5 million investment for Kenilworth represents the biggest single allocation since the launch of the New Stations Fund. This is part of the £38 billion being invested in our railways from 2014 to 2019, which will help modernise the railways and provide massive benefits to both passengers and the UK economy.
Kenilworth Station was just one of the bids for the New Stations Fund which has allocated £13.6 million for the construction of new stations since its launch in January. Other successful bids include:
Lea Bridge (East London)
Pye Corner (Wales)
Ilkeston (East Midlands)
Newcourt (Devon)