An artist’s impression of the refurbished east building at Carnforth station.

Geraldine Smith, the city council’s Jean Yates and Richard Watts, project manager David Taylor, Irvine Taylor, Ann Dale, Trust Director George Nightingale, Alice Chorley of Friends of Carnforth Station, Myles Bateman and Peter Yates from the Trust and Railtrack’s John Pengelly meet to discuss work at Carnforth Station. 3105011

Station’s new encounter

FUNDING is in place, plans have been drawn up and contractors have been appointed - all that's left to do now is put it all into practice and let the building work commence.

Building surveyor John Lister joined the project's management team two years ago and has been given the mammoth task of designing the station that could give Carnforth a new lease of life.

Whilst this phase of work will be completed in the next six months, it is very much a first step.

John explained: "Three phases of work are set out at the moment, with funding more or less in place for the first two, although ideas have been put on paper for phases four and five. It's the sort of project that will keep on going - there'll always be new things to look at."

Here is a step-by-step guide to what will happen, how work will progress and how the newly regenerated station will look once it's finished.

THE FIRST STEP

Phase one - which will begin on Monday - will see the complete refurbishment of the 'east building' - the part of the station visible to the public as they enter the car park.

The building, which is currently in a bad state

of disrepair, will be brought to current standards and divided into six units, one of which will become a ticket and information office for both trains and buses in the area, with the rest being made into lettable units for shops and businesses.

"We're not necessarily looking for retail outlets, although we have had some interest from craft-type shops. Ideally we'd have businesses which are connected with the rail industry, but we're going to see what sort of offers we get and not rule anything out.

"When people walk into the station, information will immediately be available.

The information office will be permanently manned and tickets can be bought for both trains and buses, as part of the new Carnforth Connect scheme.

"All being well, this should be complete and running by November this year."

PHASE TWO

The second phase is expected to begin immediately once phase one is finished. It will include the complete transformation of the station's island 'building, which has had no maintenance for the past 25 years.

The walls will. be strengthened, timber replaced and the roof rebuilt. The newly refurbished building will comprise of a sophisticated refreshment room - "which will be very, much like the one in Brief Encounter" - a restaurant, gift shop and toilet facilities.

"The Brief Encounter link is a very important aspect of this work," John explained. "The station should have a very 1940s feel when it's finished.

"We'll be putting the famous Brief Encounter clock back in place and we'll also have traditional old-style benches and period lantern lighting."

Work on the station's centrepiece - the Heritage Centre - will also get under way during the second phase, which should be complete by this time next year.

THE HERITAGE CENTRE

The Heritage Centre will begin during the second phase of the project, but will continue to be built upon afterwards. More fundraising will have to be undertaken to fully realise this part of the project.

"The centre is intended to be a facility for the community to use, for exhibitions and displays.

That part should be open by next summer. "We also want to eventually have display boards and exhibits of our .own, to chart the history of the station."

THE FUTURE

The station won't be left to its own devices once the regeneration work, is completed - it's an ongoing project that will need constant monitoring and careful management to make sure the hard work of the Trust and other bodies doesn't go to waste.

John said: "We will continue to work with the station - we will be managing the shop units as well as managing the station itself as a development, seeing to general maintenance work and keeping things in order.

"There could be phases four and five in the distant future," John revealed.

"We do have some ideas for further work, such as putting up new, Victorian-style canopies throughout the station, or installing period-style cast iron columns.

"Carnforth was a major central station in its heyday - it was a bit like Waterloo. What we'd really like is to turn Carnforth back into a main - line station as it used to be."

"Station’s new encounter" Lancaster Guardian 8th June 2001

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