Council draws up plans for the next 25 years to make best use of HS2 benefits

Station1

A masterplan outlining the future of Stoke-on-Trent railway station and how it can best reap the benefits of HS2 has been unveiled.

It outlines a series of potential developments to the station and the land surrounding it to cover the next 25 years, with later phases centred on the impact the upcoming high-speed railway network would bring to the city.

They have been developed with partners including Network Rail, who own the station, and train operators, with the city council also working on them with Mott McDonald.

Assuming the minimum of two HS2 trains that the council is looking for stop at the station, the masterplan envisages building two new platforms at the Grade-II listed station, a new north entrance and concourse and commercial/residential developments on the land surrounding it.

The council said that the city would have rapid connections to both Birmingham and Manchester, as well as a journey time of less than an hour to central London.

Other potential improvements include a new multi-storey car park, scope for a hotel development; re-routing most of the traffic away from Station Road to make it a more pedestrian-friendly area; promoting residential-led developments alongside the canal and creating a bridge across it and the A500 to connect the station to the town centre.

Councillor Daniel Jellyman, cabinet member for regeneration, transport and heritage at the city council, said: 鈥淭here is huge potential here to increase passenger numbers, improve on-station facilities and drive regeneration and development across the surrounding area.

鈥淭his is about us starting to look now at what is needed to make the station a key transport hub for the region that builds on the city鈥檚 own investment and is ready for the game-changer that will be HS2. A bigger, better station ready for the transport and associated demands we know the future will bring can act as a catalyst for the area, bringing with it economic benefits for the whole city.

鈥淭here is a real opportunity here to not only transform the station but also some of the land surrounding it with commercial, leisure and residential developments, which will bring with them jobs and growth.鈥�

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