The £50 million Sheffield Station Gateway Project is now complete and will be officially opened by the Under Secretary of State for Transport, Gillian Merron MP, on Tuesday 13 March.
The formal event is being held to mark the completion of the major programme to transform both the inside of the station and Sheaf Square into a world-class gateway to the city.
Since the project began five years ago, the station and its surroundings have undergone a complete facelift. Inside there is a new ticket office, waiting areas, extensive work to platforms and canopies and an extended concourse area with new shops and cafes. Outside, Sheaf Square welcomes visitors to the city with its dramatic water features, trees, public seating and the ‘Cutting Edge’ sculpture. The improvements to the station are so impressive that they won the coveted Project of the Year Award in the 2006 National Rail Awards.
Jan Wilson, Leader of Sheffield City Council said: “The redevelopment of Sheffield Station and Sheaf Square has provided the city with a modern, world class, quality entrance to the city. It’s absolutely crucial that the city’s station gives the right impression to visitors and business people as well as being an excellent public transport facility for the people of Sheffield to use and we have certainly achieved that. So many people’s first view of the city is from the station, so it’s absolutely right that investment has gone in to make it vibrant, modern, safe and welcoming.”
The station and square will be officially opened by Gillian Merron MP with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. Sheffield City Council, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, Midland Mainline and Network Rail, who have all contributed to the project, will also present the Under Secretary of State for Transport with a large framed photograph of the station and Sheaf Square for her to take back to the Department for Transport.
David Brown, Passenger Services Director at the Transport Executive said: “Over the past 5 years, Sheffield Station has been completely transformed and hugely improved by this project. It is now a superb facility for the city and for the thousands of passengers who use it each year. The Transport Executive is delighted to have played such a major part in this award-winning project.”
The minister will also see how the Sheffield Station Gateway Project links into the redevelopment of the city centre by taking in part of the ‘gold route’. The route takes visitors from Sheffield Station through a series of exciting new developments each with their own distinctive lighting, public art and water features, itself winning Public Realm of the Year at the 2006 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) White Rose Awards for Design Excellence.
Garry Raven, Managing Director for Midland Mainline, part of the National Express Group said: “The completion of the Sheffield Gateway Project will make a huge difference to all customers using Sheffield Station. Midland Mainline has been involved in this project since the very beginning, and it's great to be able to see the end results, a completely refurbished station; a brand new public square and a fitting new gateway to the redeveloped city.”
Graham Botham, Area General Manager for Network Rail, said: "The improvements that have been here will make a real difference to everyone who uses the station. We were delighted to be involved in this scheme and it is a real pleasure to see it completed to such high standards."