Work is set to begin on Exeter's Marsh Barton Railway Station in February.
The station should have been up and running in December 2016, but spiralling costs and protracted discussions with the rail industry led to delays.
Part of the Devon Metro project, which includes a number of rail infrastructure improvements in the Exeter area, the scheme for Marsh Barton station is designed to create sustainable links to one of the cities biggest industrial areas, opening up access for employment, retail and leisure.
Cllr Andrea Davis, Devon County Council cabinet member for infrastructure, said that enabling and advanced works on the station would begin in February.
She added: “It has been far from a smooth or easy journey to this point. This will be a destination station and help with the congestion we experience every day in normal times in Marsh Barton, and I look forward to the new station.”
She was speaking at Devon County Council’s cabinet, when they met on Wednesday January 13. They unanimously approved the construction of the £16million project after planning permission was granted last month.
Artist impression of the new Marsh Barton railway station
The proposed station will have two platforms, with the eastern and western platforms served by trains to Newton Abbot and Exeter, respectively. Each platform will be 124 metres in length, sufficient to accommodate trains formed of up to 5 cars, and will be 4m wide.
Each platform will have a waiting shelter, 10m wide by 1.5m deep, containing 12 stainless steel seats with arm rests, and a perch rail for four passengers, as well as one ticket vending machine on each platform, located inside the waiting shelters.
Vehicular access to the station will be from Clapperbrook Lane East, with a new access road meeting the existing road at a junction on the eastern edge of the side, with access to the station for pedestrians and cyclists will be via paths which connect to the new footway/cycleway, with a new bridge over the river also provided as part of the work.
Artist impression of the new Marsh Barton railway station
Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, also speaking in support of the station, added: “This is an important piece of infrastructure and although the price has increased, it’s not all for the station, as some of it is for the bridge on a very narrow lane, so we are also getting some highway improvements for pedestrians and cyclists. All in all, this is some really good news.”
No parking spaces will be provided for general use, as it is expected the station will primarily serve as a destination, and it is intended to encourage use of sustainable modes of transport.
The £16m station will be funded by a variety of sources, including £1.3m each from Exeter City Council and Teignbridge District Council, £3m from the Department for Transport, and nearly £3m from the existing Local Transport Plan.
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