Crewe upgrade awarded £6m

Cheshire East Council welcomed and Network Rail have been successful in a joint bid for £6.177m from the Government's £100m rail stations improvement fund.

The council said the scheme is central to plans to regenerate and revitalise the town centre and surrounding area under the All Change for Crewe proposals.

The new Government cash will fund the first phase of a comprehensive overhaul and enhancement of historic Crewe Rail Station and the adjoining former Royal Mail site. The land is owned by Network Rail and the council.

Phase one will include a new surface-level car park of about 250 spaces; improved facilities for taxis; new area for people to pick up and drop off their family and friends; new ticket machines and passenger information displays; reopening the pedestrian subway linking the new facility into platforms one to five and six to 11; new area for servicing vehicles to access the station; and new commercial development site to provide a business opportunity for activities, which will be ancillary to the station.

Cllr Jamie Macrae, Cheshire East's cabinet member for prosperity, said: "This is wonderful news and a keystone of long-term regeneration not only of the town centre but also the wider 20-year All Change for Crewe project. The station is vital to our work to enhance the attractiveness of Crewe as a place to live, work and do business.

"There is still a lot of hard work to be done – and we will not be complacent about this -but this funding announcement is a critical vote of confidence in the station, the town and wider regeneration scheme. A revitalised rail hub will be critical to boosting the town's visitor economy and its attractiveness to business."

It is hoped the £6.177m funding will be a springboard to attracting further investment from Government and the rail industry to achieve Cheshire East's ultimate ambition for the redevelopment of the station.

The All Change for Crewe delivery team is headed by Tom Russell, previously chief executive of New East Manchester urban regeneration company.