STATIONS
Development site
Buckshaw Village is a huge brownfield development on the 395 hectare site of the former Royal Ordnance Factory. As the munitions works wound down in the 1990s, a masterplan was drawn up to cre- ate new residential and industrial zones. To date, around half of the planned 4,000 houses have been built and facilities in- clude a new primary school, community centre, sports pitches and doctors’ surgery. A new railway station has long been part of the vision.
County councillor Tim Ashton, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for high- ways and transport, said: “It’s really impor- tant that with every new and emerging de- velopment like Buckshaw Village we make sure there is a sustainable public transport system for residents and commuters to use.”
Cllr Peter Goldsworthy, leader of Chorley council, added: “The new station is some- thing that residents and businesses have told us is really important for Buckshaw so I’m delighted that the work of Chorley Council has helped make this a reality.”
Project partners
The station is a collaborative project be- tween Lancashire County Council, Chorley Borough Council, Network Rail and North- ern Rail.
Richard Watts, rail projects manager at Lancashire County Council, explains that the project board included representatives from all four parties: “We brought together senior people and gave leadership from a high level. The people there had the au- thority and clout to make it happen.”
Although the project is being delivered by Network Rail, the funding comes en- tirely from third parties. Chorley Borough Council is funding £3.5m from a Section 106 agreement with the former landowner, BAE Systems. Developers Redrow and Bar- ratt also worked in partnership to transfer the land for the station to Network Rail and facilitate the construction stages and other developers including Orbit took account of the needs of the station in their plans.
However, a £3.3m funding gap remained. Lancashire County Council successfully targeted the Community Infrastructure Fund, which was an ideal source specifi- cally designed to fund transport schemes that support housing growth. This govern- ment funding, confirmed in August 2009, had a two-year spending deadline, giving the project urgency.
Transport hub
The scheme is more than just a station: it is a mini transport hub. The forecourt has taxi spaces, a ‘kiss-and-ride’ drop-off point and a bus stop. The main link roads through Buckshaw Village have dedicated cycle paths, and the station has 10 cy- cle lockers and space for 40 cycles on the stands.
As befits a ‘Parkway’ station, Buckshaw provides significant car parking with 200 spaces plus the regulation 5% or 10 disa- bled spaces. Parking is free, similar to the other parkway stations on the line at Hor- wich and Lostock.
Station design
Two 150m-long facing platforms permit six-car formations to use the station. Fu- ture extension for eight-car formation has been allowed for in the planning permis- sion and construction details.
The twin lift shafts, clad in terracotta-col- oured tiles, are a striking feature. They pro- vide step-free access to the 24m-span foot- bridge that links the platforms. The station building has a complementary appearance and provides ticketing facilities, toilets and covered waiting space.
Modular building
Network Rail’s October 2007 Stations Strategy envisages a consistent, recognis- ably high quality being created by new and standardised station facilities. To meet this aim, Network Rail’s design for Buckshaw Parkway proposed using elements from the modular stations initiative.
Several stations have trialled the modular concept, including Greenhithe, Mitcham Eastfields and Corby. Since these flagship examples opened in 2008-2009, a steady stream of station redevelopments, such as Uckfield and Berkswell, have used similar details.
Continued overleaf >> rail technology magazine Dec/Jan 12 | 27
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