Great Malvern station: from fresh canopies, to fresh hedgerows

A new hedgerow has been planted at the recently renovated Great Malvern railway station to further enhance the environment and increase biodiversity.

An area of land at the end of platform 1 was cleared to make way for recently completed improvements to the Grade II listed station for passengers, which saw roof and gutter replacements, structural strengthening and the repainting of the ornate ironwork on both of the station's platform canopies.

Now that the renovation project has been completed, Network Rail and its contractor Murphy have set to work to improve the appearance of the empty ground where the vegetation has been taken out.

The team have planted nearly 80 native-species shrubs including Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Dog-rose and Hazel, just in time for #WorldEarthDay. Once established, the new hedgerow will contribute to positive biodiversity and act as a natural barrier between the area at the end of platform 1 and the track.

Cathleen Meehan, scheme project manager at Network Rail, said: “I hope passengers and local people are enjoying the recently renovated station which is such an important part of our railway heritage.

“We’re committed to sustainable construction and having removed vegetation to do the work, it’s really important to us that we replace plants lost as well as making efforts to improve the appearance of the grounds alongside the beautiful canopies”.

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway, said: “We are proud to have worked alongside Network Rail to ensure that Great Malvern remains one of the most attractive stations in the region.

“A new hedgerow, the renovation of the platform canopies and other station improvements are part of a significant investment to keep Great Malvern a picturesque station which passengers can enjoy.”

You can read more about the Great Malvern canopies restoration at: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/historic-platform-canopies-restored-at-great-malvern-station.