1 April 2025
Today (1 April), the Railway Industry Association (RIA) has published a new discussion paper which sets out a place-based approach for delivering better stations across the nations and regions of the UK.
The paper, ‘Stations: Engines of Communities’, calls for a new private and public approach to station development to fully realise the economic and social value of train stations within communities. Key areas include:
- Investing in smaller and medium sized stations as a portfolio – getting away from today’s fragmented approach – using economies of scale to significantly lower costs (such as through Network Rail’s HUB Station design which uses modern methods of construction).
- Harnessing the full range of funding sources to help pay for station improvements e.g. retail, advertising, car parking, energy generation, land value capture.
- Using private investment models and commercial expertise to bring together and maximise these different revenue sources.
- Close working in partnership with local authorities, including to use stations to support housing development and, vice versa, for housing development to support station upgrades.
The paper proposes establishing this new approach as a repeatable programme, with a high-level pipeline and timescale: this will deliver an attractive investment opportunity.
Commenting on the paper, RIA Policy Director Robert Cook said: “Train stations are vital gateways for communities across the length and breadth of the UK. We believe there is a significant opportunity to redefine the role of the more than 2500 stations across the country and unlock their potential to drive local economic development and connectivity.”
Robert added: “Train stations will be instrumental to the Government’s ambitions to construct new towns and build more than 1.5 million homes over the current Parliament. For example, analysis suggests over 1 million homes could be built around England’s rural stations with only a 1% decrease in the green belt. A new approach to station development is needed which leverages the best of the private and public sectors to deliver better outcomes for communities, passengers, and taxpayers.”
He concluded: “RIA is working to further develop the ideas proposed in the paper, testing potential revenue and funding streams and feasibility before a proposed delivery model is published in Summer 2025.”
The paper has been developed by a cross-industry group, including the Rail Delivery Group. Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive Officer at Rail Delivery Group said: “Rail does more than simply transport us from A to B; it’s a vital link to the people, places and experiences and it starts at a station.
“Stations support a wide range of local businesses and communities that enhance the overall experience of travelling by train. Rail can and must be the backbone of the country’s future growth and environmental ambitions, and rail stations are a key part of that growth.”