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Latest News

Another link in Nottingham’s Transport Success

As part of the redevelopment of Nottingham Railway Station (The Hub), a new facility for short and long stay cycle parking opened on Wednesday 21st July 2010.

The Nottingham Railway Station Cycle Hub is located within the old ‘Milk Dock’ area of Nottingham Station and can be accessed from Station Street. It will provide convenient and direct access to the railway station platforms and NET.

The free facility provides safe, quality sheltered parking for 92 cycles that can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The area is well-lit, with lighting columns and solar-powered LED lighting within the shelters and will be monitored by CCTV.

The facility is ideally situated along the busy cross-city cycle route with easy access to other local cycle routes including the Big Track and the southside cycle network

Cllr Jane Urquhart, Portfolio Holder for Transport & Area Working at Nottingham City Council, said: “This new Cycle Hub will be open for use by all types of cyclist – visitors and commuters. It offers a safe, quality, accessible space with direct connections to the Station, NET terminus, taxi waiting areas and local bus routes.”

The key Hub partners involved in developing the new cycle facility include Nottingham City Council, Network Rail, East Midlands Trains and East Midlands Development Agency (emda)

Karl Nevitt, Route Manager for East Midlands Trains in Nottinghamshire, said: “Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for all rail users to access our stations and trains. We are pleased to have worked with Nottingham City Council and other partners to deliver this improvement scheme, and we hope the new cycle facility will encourage even more people to travel by train.”

Station Redevelopment Making Progress

Progress is being made to transform Nottingham Railway Station and the surrounding area.

Paving works have already started on Station Street as the first phase of major enhancements to the public realm and the creation of a dedicated new cycle compound has begun.

Nottingham Station is poised to become ‘The Hub’ of Nottingham’s integrated transport system.

The key Hub partners – Network Rail, East Midlands Trains, Nottingham City Council and East Midlands Development Agency (emda) are also close to reaching an agreement to enable works to upgrade Nottingham Station to begin later in the year – starting with the construction of a striking new multi storey car park off Queens Road.

The £67m redevelopment of the station will also include a new ticket office, improved passenger facilities along with the transformation of the existing taxi waiting area into an enclosed passenger arrival hall with new retail outlets. A new concourse will be built to enable improved passenger interchange and to connect with lines two and three of the tram extension proposals (NET Phase Two).

Emphasis will be placed on marrying the station’s historic features with a new modern look. Users of the station will benefit from significantly improved public spaces, upgraded transport links in and out of the station and enhanced cycle facilities, car parking and drop off/pick up facilities.

Cllr Jane Urquhart, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for Transport & Area Working says: “We are very encouraged with the progress made to realise the Hub project. The station is an important gateway to the city. A new modern 21st Century station will not only benefit passengers and visitors to Nottingham, but it will be a major boost for the economic wellbeing of the city. Businesses have been calling for the station to be improved for years. Together with the proposals for lines two and three of the tram, Nottingham would boast a state of the art transport interchange allowing passengers to move freely between tram and train.”

The station redevelopment is a key part of the wider regeneration of Southside area of Nottingham. Recently Nottingham City Council announced the purchase of Loxley House (the former Capital One building). The property developer, Peel Holdings, (currently developing Media City in Salford) have had proposals approved for Sovereign House, which will create 27,000 sq metres of office space, 10,000 sq metres of hotel space, which will be up to 240 rooms, and 6500 sq metres of retail and leisure use.

The Hub will free up four key development sites that are projected to bring about 2,000 new jobs to the city, and another 7,500 as a result of the regeneration of Eastside and Southside.

Cllr Urquhart continued: “A modernised train station surrounded by new development will make this part of the city very attractive. Visitors to Nottingham will know they have arrived at a very dynamic forward thinking, modern city. And this is a great first impression to have.”

The Hub project is part of the workplace parking levy (WPL) package of benefits. The WPL, which is to be introduced in April 2012, will help pay for major improvements to public transport infrastructure in Nottingham, including NET Phase Two and maintaining the City Council’s Link bus network.

Diana Gilhespy, emda’s Executive Director of Regeneration, said: “Improving transport connectivity in this key area of the city will have an important economic impact. Not only will it mean better access for all communities both within Nottingham, across the region and beyond, it will also unlock development sites within the station complex and surrounding areas for further investment. This will create substantial employment opportunities which will be critical as we come out of recession and strive to achieve the long-term goal of a flourishing region. Our investment of £9.5m is set to make an important contribution to realising this vision.”

Nottingham City Council approved funding for The Hub

A £67m plan to transform Nottingham railway station into a world class transport interchange has moved a step closer.

Nottingham City Council approved funding of £18.13m toward The Hub project at an executive board meeting on Tuesday 17 March.

It was also revealed that the Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM) had decided that – despite the station’s Heritage Status – the planning proposals did not need to be passed on to the Secretary of State for final approval.

It is hoped work could now start as early as July, and be complete by late 2012 to early 2013.

The Hub proposals get the go ahead!

The proposals to modernise and develop Nottingham railway station into a high quality transport Hub and gateway to the city have reached an important milestone today.

Nottingham City Council’s Development Control Committee has considered the proposals for external alterations to the existing station and platform buildings and the erection of a new concourse and multi-storey car park fronting Queens Road.

John Watson, who chairs the Hub project board says: “This is wonderful news. Having a modern train station is important for the city. For many visitors it’s their first experience of Nottingham and so it needs to reflect the city’s dynamism and vibrancy.”

The proposed changes to the station include:

• restoring the Edwardian frontage into an attractive space where passengers will be able to wait in comfort among shops and cafes
• creating a new travel centre, toilets and passenger information points.
• building a new concourse directly connecting the station with Nottingham Express Transit Line One and Phase Two
• constructing a new multi storey car park.
• improvements to bus, cycle, pedestrian and taxi access around the station
• encouraging significant new commercial development for mixed use in and around the station including retail opportunities

Cllr Jane Urquhart says: “Joined up quality public transport infrastructure is key to the future success of this city. Good rail links to London, a fantastic new train station and transport hub, all linked by a modern, efficient tram network and extensive bus routes is what every city craves. And in Nottingham, we have the chance to make this a reality.”

The proposals will also release land for the development of sites surrounding the station and are part of wider plans to improve the Southside of the city.

The redevelopment of the railway station is a partnership project involving Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, East Midlands Trains, Network Rail, East Midlands Development Agency, Nottingham Development Enterprise, Nottingham Regeneration Ltd and the Rail Heritage Fund.

All plans are subject to further confirmation by the Government Office of the East Midlands (GOEM).

Picture Perfect

The first pictures of the proposed Hub redevelopment have been released.

New pictures, showing how Nottingham Station could become The Hub, have been released as Network Rail puts in a new planning application to make the impressive and bold ideas a reality.

They’ve been tinkering with their original application to ensure all heritage and planning issues are addressed and after advice from train operator East Midlands Trains. With any luck the application will be considered by the City Council this summer and we’ll be one step closer to seeing The Hub.

The Hub is a set of multi-million pound proposals that will transform Nottingham Station. The above image shows how the station entrance will change. All the original Edwardian buildings will stay but the taxi’s and short stay parking will be replaced by better passenger facilities, cafes and shops so you can wait for your train in comfort, what more could you ask for?

And that’s just one of the many changes planned, as Councillor Jane Urquhart, the new portfolio holder for transport says:
“It’s exciting to see more clearly than ever what our station could look like if we take this bold, once-in-a-generation step to invest in it and make it a gateway to the city of which we can be proud.”

Browse through the rest of The Hub website to see the other new images and for more information on The Hub, and the other planned transformations.

Parallel vision

The parallels between St Pancras International and the Nottingham Hub are obvious, Greg Nugent, Marketing Director at Eurostar, told the GNTP forum on Wednesday 9th April. “The Hub is ambitious, bold, forward thinking and essential for a new Nottingham” said Greg – read his thoughts on The Hub’s green credentials in the document below.

Just the job

John Watson, Chair of the Hub Project Board, talked the GNTP forum through The Hub proposals. Offering a sneak preview of the project’s business case John explained the potential for over 10,000 new jobs to be created – read his speech below.

On track for Nottingham in 90

In a presentation to the GNTP forum David Mather, External Development Manager at East Midlands Trains, explained what’s needed to improve rail services to London including signalling, track, rolling stock and timetabling improvements – view his presentation below.

On the railways

“My family has always worked on the railways, I grew up on them” were the opening words of Councillor Michael Edwards, Nottingham City Council, at the GNTP forum on Wednesday 9th April. No one better then to kick off the forum and provide an overview of the challenges we face. Providing a sound but exciting response was Councillor Stella Smedley, Nottinghamshire County Council, who systematically ran though the improvements needed to local railway lines and explained the comprehensive lobbying under taken so far – view her speech below.