London Northwestern Railway unveils major scheme to revitalise Hertfordshire railway station building

A major scheme to revitalise a disused station building on the Abbey Line between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey has been unveiled by London Northwestern Railway (LNR).

The scheme, at Bricket Wood station in Hertfordshire, will be run by the local Heritage Trust and has been given the go-ahead thanks to a huge £250,000 grant from the rail operator.

It will see the building, which has stood empty for decades, brought back into use for the benefit of communities living near the popular branch line. Once renovations are complete, the new-look building will operate as a community hub for passengers and people living near the route.

Vicky Cropper-Clarke, head of community and stakeholder for LNR, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Heritage Trust to bring this building back into use for the community. The building is the last one remaining on the Abbey Line and has fantastic potential.

“Throughout the pandemic our focus has rightly been on keeping our services running for our communities who need them, but we must also look to the future and make sure the railway remains an inviting and welcoming place for our passengers.

“Schemes like this are at the heart of what London Northwestern Railway is all about – working with the community to build a local railway right at the heart of our neighbourhoods.”

The project has been approved by LNR as part of its inaugural Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF), with funding provided by the Department for Transport.

As part of CCIF, LNR and sister company West Midlands Railway will invest a total of £1.7million in dozens of community projects across the network over the next 12 months.

David Horton, from the Bricket Wood Station Heritage Trust, said: “It is something of a dream come true to receive this most generous grant from London Northwestern Railway.

"This funding will enable us to bring new life back to a building which has been out of railway use for more than half a century. Thanks to this project, Bricket Wood station will soon be returned to its rightful place at the beating heart of the village - for the community, railway customers and visitors alike."