Hatfield partners celebrate completion of station redevelopment

Train operator Great Northern, Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), Network Rail, the Department for Transport (DfT) and Lord Salisbury today celebrated the £12.5m redevelopment of Hatfield station.

Lord Salisbury cut a ribbon and reminded his audience that his great great grandfather, the then Prime Minister and owner of Hatfield House opposite, once had his own train and platform at the station! The latest improvements, he said, would help with the redevelopment of Old Hatfield and in the rebranding of the newer town.

The station has seen:

• The completion of a new seven-storey car park with 378 new spaces, 75% energy-saving LED lighting and automatic number plate recognition; and a large retail extension to the station building - £6.9m (DfT funding), delivered by Great Northern
• New station forecourt with bus interchange on the site of an old car park to address congestion and improvements to the A1000 at the front of the station to accommodate the changed access to the car park and to create new drop off facilities - £2.5m, funded and delivered by Hertfordshire County Council
• Access for All scheme incorporating a new footbridge and lifts to all platforms - £2.5m (DfT funding) delivered by Network Rail
• 266 new covered cycle parking spaces in the station forecourt, monitored by new CCTV cameras - £170,000 (funded by DfT and HCC), delivered by Great Northern
• Booking hall refurbishments (refurbished toilets, new tiling, floors and lighting, and fit outs of retail units ready for letting) - £400,000 (DfT National Station Improvements Programme funding), delivered by Great Northern
• A new fully accessible toilet in the concourse and customer information point on platforms 2 and 3 - £55,000 funded and delivered by Great Northern

Hatfield House, which has been a key supporter of the scheme along with the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, marked the occasion by entering into a station partnership with Great Northern, as part of which its head gardener will adopt the flower beds at the front of the station. The agreement is with Gascoyne Cecil Estates, which manages Hatfield House for Lord Salisbury.

The new multi-storey car park nearly doubled the number of spaces available for motorists at the station. Like the new retail entrance, it was designed with a local heritage feel and incorporates motifs from the grand entrance gate to Hatfield House across the road from the station. The car park reached the finals of the British Parking Awards’ in the Best New Car Park category.

Lord Salisbury said:

“This station has become a flagship for a new Hatfield. The reputation of this town hasn’t been as good as it deserves for some time now and the fact we have a fine new station will enormously influence the redevelopment of Old Hatfield nd in the rebranding of Hatfield on the other side of the railway.”

Great Northern’s Passenger Service Director Keith Jipps said:

“Hatfield station was a utilitarian square building with overflowing car parks and a station forecourt that simply wasn’t fit for purpose. What we’ve created with our partners is a fabulous replacement that ticks all the boxes: a transport hub that is fully accessible and truly integrated for people arriving on foot and by car, bus, taxi and bike.

“The station has the space for great new shops and the capacity to cope with future rail growth; we believe it will stand the test of time for decades to come.”

Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Terry Douris said:

“I am delighted with the completed Hatfield Station complex and hope the public is already seeing the benefits that the completed scheme brings. We have listened to the needs of local residents and provided better access for buses and taxis, removed the unpopular subway and improved access for all station users.”

Steve Hughes, area director for Network Rail, said:

“I am delighted that the hard work of all those involved has resulted in station which not only looks fantastic but which will help serve the ever increasing number of passengers who use Hatfield every day. The enhancements are a result of all parties working closely and we are proud to have been part of this project.”

Rail Minister Claire Perry said:

“The impressive redevelopment at Hatfield which I saw for myself last year will help to transform passengers’ experiences when travelling by train, and it’s great news that this work is now complete. Our plan for passengers is helping to provide a modern, accessible transport hub and making it easier for people to travel to work and see friends and family.

“This is further proof that our commitment to invest record amounts in the UK’s rail network is delivering better journeys for all.”

Hertfordshire LEP Board Member John Dean said:

“Now the residents of Hatfield have a train station they truly deserve. Not only is it fit for the needs of today’s and future rail passengers but it has been designed to be sympathetic to the surrounding environment. This is a redevelopment that we can be very proud of.”

ends

Notes to editors

Hatfield Station is on the East Coast Main Line, 17 miles north of London King’s Cross. The station is owned by Network Rail and operated by Great Northern, which is part of Govia Thameslink Railway. The gates of Hatfield House, home of the 7th Marquess of Salisbury and open to the public, are directly opposite the station.

There has been a station at Hatfield since 1850 but the present building dates from the 1950s when Hatfield was redeveloped as one of the post-war New Towns|.

Two of the four retail units in the newly-extended station have already been let as a men’s barbershop and hairdressers for women. The remaining two will be a coffee shop and a convenience store, details of which will be revealed once leases are finalised.