Monday the 27th of September saw Saxmundham station officially opened with a ceremony to mark the occasion and celebrate the important upgrade and enhancement-based project.
Guests included local MP and government minister the Rt Hon Dr. Therese Coffey, representatives from Greater Anglia, local authorities including Suffolk County Council, the East Suffolk Lines community rail partnership and the East Suffolk Travellers Association.
Part of the project involved the significant remodelling of the station building which now features a new waiting room which includes benefits like air conditioning, wi-fi access, and charging points and will be open from 7 am to 4 pm Monday to Saturday thanks to the Network Rail signalling team.
A self-service ticket machine has also had its own special area created. CCTV has been installed to cover the entire station area and the platform canopy has been fully refurbished.
The huge investment has created improved customer facilities following a terrible fire during 2018, which caused substantial damage to the original structure, including the roof and first floor collapsing into the building itself.
Along with the remodelling and make-over of the station building, a brand new northbound platform 2 has been created which benefits from a new shelter and seating. Other enhancements include the access ramp getting refurbished and the fencing to the rear of the platform being completely replaced.
The car park has also seen upgraded and has also been extended and now included 48 parking bays with two blue badge parking bays along with motorcycle parking. All areas of the car park are covered with an improved CCTV system. Other benefits to the carp park included new landscaped areas, new lighting and new access onto the southbound platform.
The station now includes a new wildlife garden which has been lovingly created by the station adopters Sally Ford and Deborah Dann, and has been funded by East Suffolk District Council and Saxmundham Town Council. Both Sally and Deborah plan to create several wildflower areas at the station and a large area at the bottom of the car park.
Installation of a hedgehog house, bird boxes and insect hotels made from recycled wood are also planned. The station adopters will also see support from award-winning garden designer Frederic Whyte who has been commissioned by the Town Council to come up with a planting scheme for the borders to the front of the station.
The project has been supported by Railway Heritage Trust, who gave a £100,000 contribution towards the upgrade.
Customers will no doubt enjoy the extensive improvements at the station, which are further enhanced with the excellent new trains which are running on the East Suffolk line providing a positive gateway for the Suffolk town.
Greater Anglia's Asset Management Director, Simone Bailey, said, “Seeing the lovely old building ravaged by fire was devastating. We initially thought that the entire building would have to be demolished.
“We're pleased to have worked closely with the community, listening to their views to come up with an upgrade programme which, although it does not reinstate the entire building, keeps its character and improves the facilities.
“We have worked with several contractors throughout this project and would like to thank them all for their hard work, along with the Railway Heritage Trust for its generous contribution. We would also like to thank customers for their patience while the work was carried out. We are so pleased with the finished result and we hope customers and the local community enjoy the benefits.”
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Amazing work Greater Anglia. Well done.