Final proposals for a multi-million-pound redevelopment of Leicester railway station have been submitted to Leicester City Council for approval.
The proposals include moving the station entrance from London Road to Station Street, which will be pedestrianised and replaced by a new public plaza to make the station entrance more accessible and attractive.
To create sufficient space for the redevelopment, 48a London Road immediately next to the railway station is being demolished.
That will reveal the original façade of the Grade-II listed building and will be restored to its Victorian glory to form the new entrance facing towards Granby Street and the city centre.
The glass-roofed entrance hall, or porte-cochère, that has pick-up and drop-off points and taxi spaces, will be moved close to the new entrance at the rear of the station off Fox Street.
It will also be overhauled to provide space for cafes, bars or retail.
Accessibility will be improved with a new curved ramp, steps, and lift to the new entrance and main ticket hall.
A wider ticket barrier will be provide more space for passengers, and there will be secure storage for bicycles underneath the new entrance ramp.
In the enlarged public plaza, rainwater gardens and trees will be planted and the statue of Thomas Cook will be moved a more prominent position.
Redevelopment is being led by Leicester City Council in partnership with Network Rail and East Midlands Railway, with £17.6 million funding from the Government's Levelling Up Fund.
A main development partner will be appointed this summer, with construction starting soon after.
The proposals come soon after a £1.1 bllion agreement was reached for the redevelopment of York Central and ambitious plans for the redevelopment of London's Waterloo station.
Leicester's railway station is a landmark building but as a vital transport hub, it needs a radical revamp to meet the needs of a modern city the size of Leicester.
We have been working closely with our rail industry partners and listening carefully to feedback form the public as we progress and develop these ambitious plans that will improve the station and revitalise this important gateway into our city.
The award of almost £18 million of extra Government investment into the city through the Levelling Up Fund is powerful endorsement of the importance of the project. It will make a vital and lasting contribution to Leicester's future growth and prosperity.
Peter Soulsby, Leicester City Mayor
We're excited to work alongside Leicester City Council and Network Rail to significantly improve the facilities for our customers.
The investment will see the iconic Leicester railway station restored back to its Victorian glory. The development will transform Leicester railway station, as the gateway to the city, by encouraging integration with the surrounding community and offering an improved customer experience to all station visitors.
Will Rogers, East Midlands Railway Managing Director
We are really pleased with the early progress that has been made on the work to transform Leicester station entrance.
We'll continue to work with Leicester City Council and East Midlands Railway to deliver these improvements to the station and improved facilities for passengers.
Gavin Crook, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail's East Midlands route
Why don’t they just put the overall roof back on and make it like a railway station to be proud of. Modern appendages just look tacky and reveal the so-called architects responsible to be incompetent, calibans. Most railway stations that are modernised are completely ruined.
London Road station concourse and the area above the platforms used to be a very pleasant place back in the 1950s and 1960s. Then at some point later on the overall roof was taken down and the rest of the area was trashed to the extent that it is now totally unwelcoming. It does not seem that the new plans will do anything to address this situation.
I hope the plans include improving facilities to include four tracking north to Syston
How about having the Electrification from Wigston….current end of the scheme extended into Leicester station … This would allow a London outer suburban all electric service to be extended to Leicester …. Customers from Luton, Bedford want to go to Leicester and Northwards ….who wants to go to Corby ?
What a shame part of the levelling fund can’t be directed to reopen the line to Burton…lots of talk there