A £13.5 million upgrade is set to transform Carlisle station into a more modern and accessible station.

Funding has been received from the Department for Transport in partnership with Network Rail and the Cumberland Council.

The funding will improve accessibility and parking, create new entrances, and pedestrianise the station frontage.

The project will create a better station for passengers while still preserving the station’s heritage.

Over 2026, the station will see work beginning on the public spaces and a new carpark, a new pub in the restored waiting room on platform 4, and a pedestrian-friendly entrance at the north.

Work will continue into 2027 with the completion of the north entrance and car park, new lifts, stairs and southern entrance.

Construction work on the pub has already begun, with more work beginning soon.

“Carlisle station is a beautiful piece of railway heritage and an important gateway to the city. This investment will transform the experience for the thousands of passengers who use the station every day, making it easier to navigate, more accessible, and better connected to the city centre. We’re working closely with Cumberland Council and Avanti West Coast to deliver improvements that passengers will see and feel from spring 2026.”

Hannah Clarke, Network Rail’s project sponsor