Burnley Manchester Road station development plan moves a step closer (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Burnley Manchester Road station development plan moves a step closer
9:00am Friday 20th January 2012 in News
A SCHEME to redevelop Burnley’s Manchester Road train station have moved a step closer after a planning application was submitted.
It will cost between £1million and £2million, depending on funding, and that will include the cost of buying some land which will be required for the work.
The application includes introducing manned ticket facilities, new canopies for the station building, waiting shelters on both platforms, a community facility, improve pedestrian entrance, a 49-space car park and cycle parking.
Coun Roger Frost, executive member for regeneration and economic development, said: “Rail travel grew by 4.8 per cent in 2011, with more and more people choosing to travel by train, despite difficult economic times.
To accommodate this growth it is important Burnley creates welcoming stations able to accommodate an increase in passenger numbers.
“For some passengers it can be the first impression they get of a town, and with the transformations underway in Burnley, with new schools, colleges and universities, it is important that visitors arriving, or passing through see the ‘new’ modern, changing Burnley.”
The station was originally built in 1886, but closed in 1961 before re-opening in 1986. By the time it was re-opened, the station building, the majority of which still exists, had been sold out of railway use for use as a dairy storage and distribution facility.
The site was purchased by Burnley Council and Lancashire County Council in November 2011 with the aim of bringing the building back into rail use.
County Coun Tim Ashton, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We're at the start of what will be a new and more prosperous time for Burnley as a result of being able to travel to Manchester in under an hour thanks to the restored Todmorden Curve.
"The redeveloped Manchester Road railway station is an important part of this and it's exciting that the process is now underway.”
Comments(7)
Noiticer
says...
4:47pm Fri 20 Jan 12
Otherwise it's pleasing to see another improvement to the area's rail network.
Cha'mone MF
says...
5:26pm Fri 20 Jan 12
Noiticer wrote:The next step should be the re-opening of the old Colne to Skipton line.
Please stop using the Americanism -train station. Let's continue to use the native English - railway station. It sounds so much better.
Otherwise it's pleasing to see another improvement to the area's rail network.
MrAJC247
says...
11:19pm Fri 20 Jan 12
Cha'mone MF wrote:Don't think there'll be much of a chance of that happening! The Burnley to preston line is about to get a whole lot busier now - do you really think they'll want a train destined to skipton getting in the way of major traffic running to manchester? I certainly doubt it. It's a great shame, and I think Dr. Beeching's to blame!
Noiticer wrote:The next step should be the re-opening of the old Colne to Skipton line.
Please stop using the Americanism -train station. Let's continue to use the native English - railway station. It sounds so much better.
Otherwise it's pleasing to see another improvement to the area's rail network.
disgusted tunbridge wells
says...
12:56pm Sat 21 Jan 12
Blurta
says...
7:36pm Sun 22 Jan 12
As for the Colne/Skipton line, forget it, there's no economic case for this. The cost of reopening would be horrendous and would never be recouped. Before long the track between Burnley and Colne will be ripped up and this half-baked scheme will be consigned to history.
Cha'mone MF
says...
10:48pm Sun 22 Jan 12
Blurta wrote:I don't know mate, I've read the research and subsequent economic case that S.E.L.R.A.P (check out their website) have done and it's quite a compelling argument. Funding though would be an issue in this climate.
I've seen the plans for this and make no mistake this will be Burnley's main station in the future. The land for expansion has already been bought and is being cleared.
As for the Colne/Skipton line, forget it, there's no economic case for this. The cost of reopening would be horrendous and would never be recouped. Before long the track between Burnley and Colne will be ripped up and this half-baked scheme will be consigned to history.
Mister Red says...
4:17pm Fri 20 Jan 12