Nottingham station’s brand-new Southern Concourse has officially opened to the public today. 

This impressive new concourse, which is a bold and modern addition to the station, will enhance the passenger experience and interchange with different forms of transport, connecting trains, the multi-storey car park and Nottingham’s tram network, when construction of two new tram lines to Chilwell and Clifton is completed and the expanded system opens to the public.

Completely glass-fronted and with lift and escalator access, the new Southern Concourse will help Nottingham to secure its place as a world-class transport hub. 

A new commemorative photo display has also been unveiled today in the Southern Concourse celebrating a century of Nottingham station, featuring a collection of key milestones and interesting stories from the last 100 years. The range of images, provided by the Nottingham Post and Picture the Past, show key historical events such as the Great Nottingham Floods in 1947, the station celebrating the Nottingham Forest Cup Win in 1959 and more recent events including the Queen’s Jubilee Tour in 2012 and the completion of the associated £100 million Nottingham re-signalling improvement project in 2013.

The opening of the new Southern Concourse is part of the £50 million transformation of Nottingham station, which has been taking place over the past two years. Improvements delivered for passengers so far include:

·      A new modernised station entrance complete with a new pedestrianised area
·      A newly-refurbished concourse, including the restoration of some of the original station features
·      A new ticket office
·      The opening of the first of the station’s new shops and cafes in the main concourse. The Gourmet Kitchen & Bar is now open, and over the coming weeks Costa Coffee, Morrison’s and Upper Crust will also be opening their new stores.
·      A new 950-space multi-storey car park
·      A refurbished First Class Lounge located on Platform 5, along with a carefully restored cafe
·      A further new feature of the station redevelopment project will be a new cycle hub, offering changing facilities, cycle hire and access to secure cycle parking.

Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South and Shadow Rail Minister, David Horne, Managing Director of East Midlands Trains, Councillor Jane Urquhart, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation for Nottingham City Council and Justin Page, Area Director for Network Rail were at the station today (Monday 2 June) to open this major new improvement for passengers.

Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South and Shadow Rail Minister, said: “The ambitious project to transform Nottingham station is creating a gateway and transport interchange befitting the City and I’m delighted that the new Southern Concourse has now been completed.
 
“I’m sure that passengers, both from Nottingham and those visiting the City, will be impressed with what they see and will really benefit from the improved connections between the station, the tram network and the station car park.”

David Horne, Managing Director for East Midlands Trains, said: “We know that everybody has been eager to see this latest major phase of the Nottingham redevelopment project, which will connect the station and car park, resulting in quicker and more convenient access for our passengers. 

“The new Southern Concourse will be a great addition to the station and passengers will now really start to benefit from the improvements that will deliver a state-of-the-art transport hub that the city can really feel proud of.”

Councillor Jane Urquhart, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation for Nottingham City Council, added: “It’s exciting to see Nottingham Station being transformed into a top European railway station offering world-class transport links.” 
It is part of a much wider regeneration of the city’s south-side which is seeing more than £170m of development and regeneration activity.

Councillor Urquhart added: “The transport investment in the city and regeneration plans around the station and Broadmarsh area put Nottingham, our citizens, and our business community in a prime position to attract further investment, jobs and growth.”

Justin Page, area director for Network Rail, said: “The completion of the southern concourse marks the culmination of a £150m investment in Nottingham’s railway, and will leave the city with one of the most modern integrated transport hubs in Britain.

“It has been a long process for Network Rail, and for passengers, but we believe the results speak for themselves. Over the past two years, we have completely replaced the signalling system and much of the track through the station, offering new standards of reliability and flexibility. Meanwhile the refurbishment of the original, 1904 concourse and the rest of the station has created a fantastic gateway to Nottingham that the city can be proud of.”

The transformation of the station has been funded by a number of parties including Network Rail, East Midlands Trains, The Railway Heritage Trust and Nottingham City Council. The City Council’s contribution would not have been possible without £12m of funding raised by the Country’s first Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) scheme.

Both the redevelopment of the station and the expansion of Nottingham’s tram network, which is also benefiting from funding generated by the WPL, topped businesses wish lists of transport infrastructure improvements that they see as being key to Nottingham’s future economic success.