Work gathers pace on new railway station

IMMEDIATELY after Christmas, work on the new £19m Warrington West railway station will be stepped up.
On December 27 and 28 a number of key elements of the project will be completed, meaning the station will begin the New Year with a considerably different look.
Works taking place are:
• Installation of the new station footbridge and stairwells
• The installation of lift shafts to both platforms
• Construction of new – and maintenance of existing track drainage systems
•  Completion works to the new platforms
•  Access scaffolding to the new footbridge and lift shafts for finishing works
To facilitate the works, the borough council and contractor Balfour Beatty have put in place a series of day time rail possessions with Network Rail between December 27 and 30 inclusive. A large crane will be operating from the northern side, at the side of the new main station building.
It is also currently programmed to carry out works to the rail tracks during night time possessions on December 28 and 29. Once this work is completed, there will be a reduced need to undertake works during the night in the New Year, as the project starts to enter its final stages.
The council’s lead member for highways, transportation and public realm, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “The Warrington West programme is progressing well, and following these works, we will really see the new station taking shape. It’s great news for commuters in west Warrington, who can look forward to excellent links with Liverpool, Manchester, Warrington town centre and Birchwood.
“This is a key project for us, as we continue to invest in our transport infrastructure and ensure that Warrington is a well-connected, business-friendly borough. I’m delighted that these works remain on track.”
The new station, which is due to open around the middle of the year in mid-2019, will have a staffed, high quality station building which echoes local history with a building design based on an aircraft hangar.
Three trains per hour will stop at the station, high quality, easy access for cyclists and pedestrian station users, safe, secure and convenient cycle parking, and good interchange with current and future bus services.
Space for drop off and taxis and a large, secure pay and display car park with CCTV and lighting.
The project is benefiting from £4.2m of government New Station Funding, and £6.5m from the Local Growth Deal. The remainder of the funding comes from Warrington Borough Council and developer contributions.
For more information, visit www.warrington.gov.uk/warringtonwest, or e-mail the project team at [email protected].