Trust hails ‘harmonious’ restoration of landmark Victorian building
Train operator East Coast is to receive a special award for the restoration of Durham railway station to its original Victorian grandeur.
The City of Durham Trust will present its Architectural Award of the Year to East Coast at a ceremony in the city next month.
The award is given each year for the best piece of restoration or new build in and around the City of Durham.
Improvements to Durham station cost £2.5 million and took almost three years to complete. They included a new travel centre set within the original 1857 station building on the southbound platform, the restoration of cast iron canopies and stonework, and the replacement of prefabricated buildings with a glazed walkway that reveals the famous view of Durham’s castle and cathedral in all its glory. Two stunning large photographic murals of the cathedral and castle view have also been provided by Durham County Council.
Customer comfort and convenience have also been improved through the introduction of a modern retail and concourse lounge which has created a warm and comfortable space, filled with natural light. Lifts linking the underpass connecting both platforms have also been replaced and the car park has been expanded to reflect rising customer demand.
East Coast’s managing director Karen Boswell said: “We are immensely proud of Durham station, and delighted at news of this award from the Trust.
“The station is a superb example of how the great architectural legacy of the Victorian railway pioneers can be preserved at the heart of a modern working station.
“While the station has been restored to its Victorian grandeur, the improvements also ensure that our customers benefit from modern and comfortable surroundings and facilities, which are an important part of their overall journey experience”.
City of Durham Trust secretary Dr Douglas Pocock said: “The Award for 2009 is clearly deserved by a building which plays a key role in the life of the city.
“Durham railway station combines restoration and new build in a harmonious manner. It is an excellent renovation and a building of which the city can be justly proud”.
World-famous author and Chancellor of Durham University Bill Bryson paid tribute to the restoration of the station in its early stages when he visited the site in 2006 as work to bring the original building back to life began. He said: “It’s great to see this marvellous building being brought back to life. There is so much great architecture to treasure on the railway, much of it the legacy of the Victorian railway pioneers”.
Durham station, which is managed by East Coast, is no stranger to awards success, having been named in 2008 as national station of the year in the National Rail Awards, the rail industry’s Oscars, beating more than 2,500 other stations to the accolade.
At that time the judging panel, led by the former rail regulator John Swift QC, described the transformation of the station as “astonishing”.
ENDS.
Notes to Editors:
The City of Durham Trust is a society set up in 1942 by local people who saw the need to conserve and encourage the appreciation of the historic City of Durham and its surroundings.
A commemorative plaque and certificate to mark the 2009 Architectural Award will be presented to East Coast at the City of Durham Trust’s open meeting on Saturday, 13 March.