Nottingham Station today (Friday 23 October) became the most recent recipient of a National Railway Heritage Award. Guests from Network Rail, Nottingham City Council, Crossrail and the Railway Heritage Trust were invited to the station to witness the unveiling of the plaque in the station’s Ticket Hall.
The project team, consisting of East Midlands Trains, Network Rail and Nottingham City Council, was the winner of the Crossrail sponsored Urban Heritage category.
The award recognises the success of a train operator, station owner or other partnerships in ensuring consistently high quality upkeep and enhancement of the environment of a significant urban station within its care, so as to perpetuate the historic ambience consistent with modern passenger requirements.
The £60 million project was jointly funded by Network Rail, Nottingham City Council – through a £12m contribution from the Workplace Parking Levy – the Railway Heritage Trust and East Midlands Trains. The result is a world-class transport hub at the very heart of the city.
The main project began in September 2012 and was completed in June 2014, during which time significant heritage restoration works were painstakingly undertaken to bring back architectural detail to an outstanding condition. The work also revealed the detail that designers and builders had put into the original station.
During the restorations, the project team received significant assistance from the Railway Heritage Trust, the local Nottingham City Council Planning Team and a Conservation Officer. Without their help and guidance and the work of the Contractor, Taylor Woodrow, the station would not have been restored to such a high standard.
The work included:
• Transformation of the Edwardian Grade 2 listed frontage to create a modern passenger environment that is sympathetic to the building’s history.
• Restoration of original features and modernisation of existing facilities.
• New shops and cafes have been introduced to the vehicle-free porte cochère.
• A new glass-fronted Southern concourse, with a full lift and escalator access was designed to enhance interchange with connecting trains, the 950-space multi-storey car park, and Nottingham’s tram network.
Andy Savage, Trustee of the National Railway Heritage Awards, said, “I have used Nottingham station since 1960, and the recent works have brought it up to the highest standard I have known in that period. The project is a worthy first winner of the Urban Heritage Award.”
Howard Smith, Operations Director for Crossrail, said, “I’m delighted to see such a superb and very fitting project win our Urban Heritage award. The project shows what can be achieved in partnership and how successful modern urban interchanges can be created by restoring and making the very most of fine, existing, buildings.”
Jake Kelly, Managing Director for East Midlands Trains, said, “We are so very proud to have won this award. We worked very hard with the Council and Network Rail to make sure that all of the work carried out at Nottingham Station was sympathetic and in the station’s best interest. It’s therefore great news for all of the team and for our passengers who use the station, that Nottingham Station has been recognised in this way.”
Cllr Nick McDonald, Portfolio Holder for Jobs, Growth and Transport at Nottingham City Council, said, “I’m delighted that the painstaking restoration of the magnificent heritage features of Nottingham Station has been recognised with this prestigious national award.
“While the station was being redeveloped and transformed into the fantastic new facility that it is today, just as much care and attention was being paid to restore original stained glass windows, uncover and bring back to life beautiful original plaster friezes, and other hidden treasures, which can be enjoyed by the millions of passengers who travel through the station each year.”
Steve Hughes, area director at Network Rail, said, “It is fantastic that Nottingham Station has been chosen as the winner of this award given the amount of care and effort that went into returning the station to its former glory. I’d like to thank the passengers who used the station for their patience while the work to transform this important gateway to the city was taking place, and hope they agree that the result is a welcoming and inviting station that Nottingham can be proud of once again.”
Following its redesign, the station has enhanced the passenger experience, improved the city’s connectivity and encouraged greater opportunities for regeneration, investment and growth.