Milestone reached in £82m station masterplan
The biggest piece of infrastructure in the Coventry Station masterplan is underway, marking a major milestone in the £82m project.
Buckingham Group Contracting placed the order for steel fabrication and erection with Miller Fabrications. Steel erection started on Monday and the whole building frame will be completed by December 2020.
A total of 1,955 tonnes of steel will be used to construct a new station building and car-park as part of the scheme to transform one of the fastest growing stations outside London with passenger numbers growing year-on-year.
The 7.5 storey building will house five retail units and new passenger waiting rooms and toilet facilities as well as a 633-space multi-storey car-park.
When complete, the new station building will be accessible from both Station Square and Warwick Road and offers step free access to all platforms via new footbridge and lifts.
Coventry City Council is working in partnership with Network Rail, Avanti West Coast and other rail operators, Transport for West Midlands, Friargate Coventry and other stakeholders to complete the project by Spring 2021.
The Coventry Station Masterplan project is benefiting from a combination of £39.4mfrom the West Midlands Combined Authority Devolution Deal, £27m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund through the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) and funds from Coventry City Council.
The £27m new station building and car park is being delivered by Coventry City Council, working with Network Rail and Buckingham Group Contracting Limited (BGCL).
The overall investment also involves building a new footbridge, a new transport interchange connected directly to the new station building by an access tunnel under Warwick Road, highway improvements and public realm works to create a traffic free boulevard from the front of the station.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration at Coventry City Council and CWLEP board director, said: “Work has continued on the station over recent months but this news is a welcome step in the redevelopment of the station. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted our lives in ways we could have never imagined but it is absolutely vital that we help to restart the economy.
“Being able to see construction taking place for such a key development project in the city is not only exciting, it’s also essential.
“We know that in the short-term new developments mean some disruption for shoppers, visitors and local people but all partners involved are committed to creating a transport hub that will help to stimulate growth for the city.
“Most of the work so far has been behind the hoarding – but once these big steel frames are in place people will begin to get a good feel for how things will shape up.”
Marc Riley, deputy MD (Rail) of Buckingham Group Contracting, said: “We are delighted to be working with Coventry City Council and Network Rail to deliver the design and build contracts for the new station, multi-storey car-park, footbridge, lifts and platform canopies.
“Buckingham Group has been involved at various stages throughout the scheme’s development from early contractor involvement to its current status. We are proud to be a part of the Coventry Station Masterplan and look forward to delivering a scheme that will make a significant development to the area. The site works are progressing well, with safety and social distancing measures at the forefront of the team’s considerations.”
