Transport Secretary announces funding for second footbridge at St Albans City station
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announces funding for second footbridge project at St Albans City Station. Photo: DANNY LOO. - Credit: Archant
Funding has been earmarked by the Transport Secretary for a second footbridge at St Albans City station alongside the announcement of a new “Acceleration Unit” – which aims to speed up transport infrastructure across the UK, post-COVID.
St Albans City station is undergoing a major revamp as funding has just been annouced for a second footbridge to ease congestion. Picture: Govia Thameslink - Credit: Archant
Funding has been earmarked by the Transport Secretary for a second footbridge at St Albans City station alongside the announcement of a new “Acceleration Unit” – which aims to speed up transport infrastructure across the UK, post-COVID.
The unit brings a wave of funding for rail and highway projects across the UK. The funding for St Albans stations will aid the completion of the £6.4 million scheme to build the new second footbridge. The footbridge will serve all four platforms and should ease congestion and address safety issues at the busy station. Work is due to start on this in early 2021, and should be delivered by January 2022.
The funding follows an announcement last year that Network Rail would be building the second footbridge after the completion of Govia Thameslink Railway’s revamp of the station, which is ongoing.
Thameslink customer services director Jenny Saunders said: “This second footbridge will be an added, real bonus for commuters, saving them time queuing to get on and off the platforms, in particular the central island platform, which becomes very crowded in normal times. We look forward to working closely with Network Rail to develop the scheme.”
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St Albans City is Thameslink’s busiest station north of London with more than 7.5 million people passing through its gates in the 12 months to April 2019 – a 2.6 per cent rise on the year before, attributed to the extra services and longer trains Thameslink has introduced.
Stephen Hind, head of business development for Network Rail, said: “We welcome the announcement of funding to build a new footbridge at St Albans City Station.
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“The footbridge will bring significant benefits. It will reduce crowding in the station at peak times and make it easier for rail users to move around the station and access the platforms.”
Welwyn Hatfield MP and transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “We want to accelerate Britain’s recovery by investing in vital infrastructure that will help get businesses back on their feet, create jobs to replace those that have been lost and level up our country. The creation of our new Acceleration Unit and investment in our roads and railways will ensure we build back better, greener and faster in the future.”
