Work has begun on the £80million transformation of Plymouth’s main railway station into a modern transport hub with shops and offices.
Construction has started on the main concourse of the train station as part of a huge package to completely transform a key entrance to the city, which will be renamed Brunel Plaza.
The first phase of the concourse work is now under way and changes include doubling the number of gates at the ticket line to improve the flow of people in and out of the platform areas.
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The Intercity Place office tower, which will be turned into a medical education campus complete with “halo of light” LED display at the top, now has hoardings around the site featuring the faces of staff and students at the University of Plymouth.
This is in advance of preparatory works taking place inside the building, which will ultimately see it refurbished .
The university has entered into a long lease for Intercity Place with Network Rail and will be undertaking a full internal and external transformation of the building.
This will include creating a new façade and then, internally, specialist teaching facilities including simulated wards, immersive care and home simulation teaching facilities.
Earlier this year, the Brunel Plaza project was which entails a wholesale refurbishment of the tired and dated entrance which has not had any significant investment since the 1980s. The façade will be upgraded, more modern shopping space created and more self-service ticket banks will be installed.
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On the other side of the ticket line, there are plans to create a new waiting area to shield passengers from the rain and cold. The main entrance will also be moved closer to Intercity Place. A new hotel and multi-storey car park, and improvements to public areas and links to the city centre are also in the pipeline.
Complex legal and funding agreements had to be signed in order to make the programme of works happen with funding agreements with GWR to move Cross Country catering from Intercity House as well as relocate the GWR driver training simulators.
Not only will Brunel Plaza have a whole new feel, but part of the project is to significantly upgrade infrastructure to improve public and sustainable transport connectivity on key commuter routes.
As part of the successful Transforming Cities Fund, there are also plans to include electric vehicle charging facilities within the new multi-storey car park.
The scheme is expected to cost about £80million and has the backing of Plymouth City Council; the University of Plymouth; Cornwall and Heart of South West LEPs; the DfT; GWR and Network Rail.
Council leader Tudor Evans visited the site to test the new train driver simulator, following the relocation of that facility as part of the upgrade project.
The driver simulator building has moved to the east of the site and houses GWR train simulators for training drivers on the new long-distance Intercity Express Trains and Castle Class trains that operate local and regional services.
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The simulators teach drivers how to control different types of train before they start in-cab training. They also allow qualified drivers the chance to practice driving scenarios or analyse incidents.
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Cllr Evans said: “We are changing the entire look and feel of the station. Bit by bit, we are relocating buildings, knocking parts down or redeveloping others to utterly transform Plymouth station.
“Instead of walking out of the concourse to face a concrete 1970s car park, people will be walking out to a buzzing open plaza with shops and offices. It’s an epic project. We have been talking about these plans now for a few years but now, now we are seeing work on the ground and I couldn’t be happier.”
Jane Jones, head of Public Affairs for GWR, said “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Plymouth City Council, the university, Network Rail and both Cornwall and Heart of South West LEPs. The regeneration of Brunel Plaza will mean a much improved welcome to the city, and it is great to see the driver simulators in their new position, ready for the next stage of work in the development.”
Karl Tucker, chair of Heart of the South West LEP, said: “This scheme will transform the station precinct and improve accessibility, capacity and the whole passenger experience for the 2.5million people that travel through it every year.
“As the busiest railway station in the Heart of the South West, it is a key transport hub for our area and provides an important gateway to Plymouth. We’re delighted the LEP has been able to support the scheme with funding from the Growth Deal and it’s great to see the progress being made on the ground.”