Work on the run-down
railway station at Carnforth due to start next week
Full steam ahead!
RESTORATION work on the run-down railway station at Carnforth is due to
start next week, and campaigners who have helped raise �1.5 million to fund the revamp,
have appealed for passengers who are fed-up with the current state of the station to be
patient while the work takes place. In recent weeks, Carnforth Town Council has received
several complaints from residents and train users who say the station is a disgrace to the
town, and is being used as a meeting ground for trouble-making teenagers. Michael Chorley,
chairman of the Friends of Carnforth Station (21/9/1999 to 26/9/2002), admitted that the recent vandalism of the
visitor information Centre had been a very "low point" for supporters of the
station, but he said that the problem should be resolved next week when con-tractors move
onto the station and install security equipment while refurbishment work takes place. The
work - which is being carried Out in a partnership with Railtrack aims to restore the
station to its former glory as in the 1940s when it was chosen as the setting for classic
British film Brief Encounter. When finished, the new-look station will boast six new
retail units, a restaurant and refreshment room, and a visitor centre. A ceremony to
celebrate the start of the work will take place on the station tomorrow, Friday, October
5. The MP for Lonsdale and Morecambe Geraldine Smith, Lancaster's Mayor Edna Jones, and
Carnforth's Mayor Brain Ward are all expected to attend. Brief Encounter look-alikes Celia
Johnson and Trevor Howard will also perform a starring role by laying the foundation
stone. Mr. Chorley said that after many years of campaigning and fund-raising, he was
delighted that the renovation work was finally due to start. "Some people won't
believe it's starting until they can actually see work going on," he said. "But
this is a major project which is going to be a huge boost for Carnforth and the
surrounding area.
Full Steam Ahead,
Lancaster Citizen, 5th October 2000
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