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More than £10m to improve Nottingham Station

Some of the cash, from East Midlands Trains and Network Rail, will go towards the £63.8m hub project to redevelop the station.

But people can have their say about where they want the rest of the money to be spent when public consultation starts next month.

Network Rail says it could be spent on things like new passenger information systems, new lifts and stairways, new toilets, waiting rooms and shelters, better lights and CCTV.

Or it could be spent on new, longer or resurfaced platforms, refurbished ticket offices and ticket halls or redecoration.

But the announcement has been criticised for being too vague.

David Thornhill, chairman of Notts Campaign For Better Transport, said: "We have got the hub slowly making its way forward which will see a major redevelopment of the whole station area. So we are a bit confused now as to where this seemingly new sum of money fits into the grand scheme of things.

"We would not want to see this money spent now if this work is undone by the hub and it's not clear to us how it all fits together."

The new hub proposals include a modernisation and refurbishment of the station building and a new concourse next to Queens Road providing high quality access between trains, the tram, car park, buses and taxis.

It is hoped work could now start as early as July, and be complete by late 2012 to early 2013.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "There's work that still needs to be done over the next couple of years which is separate [to the hub plans].

"The hub deals more with the external features of the station."

She claimed it was too early to confirm how much money will be spent on the hub and how much on other station improvements.

The Nottingham sum was announced yesterday as part of a £3.25bn package which will benefit 2,000 stations between now and 2014.

Consultation will include online surveys, telephone surveys and focus groups nationwide over three months.
Coun Jane Urquhart, the city council's portfolio holder for transport and area working, has urged Network Rail to confirm its funding for the hub project.

She said: "I'm pleased to hear that amount of money will be committed. We're waiting to sign off all the financial arrangements with Network Rail and rail operators because it's the totality of that bigger project that will take us to where we want to be."

Source:www.thisisnottingham.co.uk|

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