Arcadis has been selected to lead a major revamp of Leicester City Centre’s Grade II Listed railway station, a key transport hub in the East Midlands that will significantly boost connectivity in the region.
Working in partnership with Leicester City Council and Network Rail, Arcadis will act as lead designer, project manager and commercial manager on the scheme, which includes the development of the station as well as improvements to the public realm and a new commercial offering. The original listed building will be carefully restored and the heritage asset will become the focal point of the development.
More than £17m from the government’s Levelling Up Fund will be added to money from Leicester City Council to kickstart the development.
The new station will boost the passenger experience and reposition the entrance as a gateway, with ambitions to significantly increase the level of yearly passengers passing through Leicester to above the five million currently recorded.
Under the plans, the area outside the entrance will be remodeled with a ramp and steps leading up to the main entrance to the main concourse and ticket hall. The ticket hall will be re-configured and opened up to provide more space for passengers. Skylights will be installed in place of the existing suspended ceiling to further enhance the sense of space and let more natural light into the building. A new secure cycle store will also be created close to the new entrance.
Station Street will be closed to traffic and replaced with an attractive new pedestrianised open space, with trees and landscaping, that will link directly to the Granby Street super crossing and into the city centre.
Taxis will be relocated from inside the existing covered main entrance hall – or porte-cochere – to a new purpose-built looped taxi rank area off Fox Street, immediately adjacent to the new entrance. This will free up the glass-roofed porte-cochere to be revamped as an attractive new plaza.
Arcadis’ multidisciplinary team includes AHR, Cundall and Arcadis specialists in rail, highways, demolition, complex structures and listed buildings. They will use their vast knowledge of delivering similar programmes of work, along with international experience from working on high transport profile jobs across the world.
Planning and listed building consent will be required before work can start on site, with work expected to start later this year, if given the go-ahead. Before then, people will be invited to feedback on the proposals via an online consultation and digital walkthrough of the plans will be made available.
Gregg Barton, Arcadis project director, Leicester Railway Station said: “Delivering a transformational scheme for our key clients Network Rail, Leicester City Council and East Midlands Rail is a privilege. We have recently successfully delivered the net zero carbon St Margaret’s Bus Station project with Leicester City Council and this project moves them closer to the aspiration of providing genuinely transformational public transport options.
“The Arcadis team have worked in partnership with the client team from early visioning and optioneering to assisting on funding applications to finally getting to deliver a programme of works that will improve the quality of life for those in Leicester and the surrounding area.
“We are providing a genuine multidisciplinary service, which will revitalise this treasured historic asset whilst reducing the impact on the environment by redesigning highways and taxi areas to reduce dwell time and give better access to public transport options.”
Andrew Smith, Leicester City Council, director of planning, development and transportation said: “Arcadis have been working with us to realise the potential at Leicester Railway Station for some time, and it is a pleasure to be working with them through this next phase. They have brought in expertise from around the globe and key partners to deliver a world class facility in Leicester.
“As a key partner for the council, the Arcadis team have worked in partnership with us to provide us a design that is truly transformational for the city and our community. It is exciting to be working collaboratively in the next steps of this project with the full team including Arcadis, AHR, Cundall and our representatives SLC Rail.”
Photo credit: Arcadis
