AMBITIOUS plans for Carlisle’s Citadel railway station and the area around it will help transform the city into a prestigious capital for the Borderlands Region.

A revamped station and shopping gateway will welcome commuters and visitors of the future.

That was the proud claim from Carlisle’s MP John Stevenson as Cumbria County Council opened consultation on the £15m project.

There are hopes the traffic congestion which has dogged the area will be banished, with new parking facilities created nearby.

The scheme is part of a larger vision for an impressive city “Gateway”, with a second phase of development planned for the nearby Citadels area, with higher education, business, and cultural facilities.

The railway station has long been regarded as a key to the city’s regeneration.

It accommodates more than two million passengers every year, and is a major interchange for the Borderlands region, linking it with services on the West Coast Mainline, the Cumbrian Coast, Tyne Valley, and Settle to Carlisle, as well as Glasgow and south western lines.

Any major improvement to the area is likely to boost the local economy.

But Cumbria County Council says it is vital that local residents and businesses have their say and get involved.

After assessing public reaction, officials will draw up more detailed proposals, which will be submitted to the Government for approval. The project is one of several being worked on under the Government’s £394.5m Borderlands Growth Deal.

Mr Stevenson said: “Carlisle is a regional capital and we have to have the ambition to match. The railway station is an attractive building and quite busy, but it needs to be upgraded.

“South west Scotland sees us very much as their regional capital, in a way that north Cumbria has not always seen us.

“I always maintained that we punched below our weight but now we’re punching slightly above our weight.

“It’s not just about one investment: it’s an accumulation of things: the ring road; the airport; the enterprise zone. Revamping the railway station is an important part of it.

“There’s nothing worse than arriving at a run-down station. A revamp will improve the appearance and the appeal, for both the people who live here and for visitors.”

The Borderlands Initiative showed local councils can work together on key projects, he said.

“Improvements to Carlisle railway station and the Citadels area are just one of these projects that the Borderlands Initiative has secured,” he said. “This project will be of real benefit to Carlisle and I look forward to seeing the final proposals.”

Cumbria County Council’s leader Stewart Young said: “Our plans to improve Carlisle railway station are in the early stages of development and we want to gather people’s views and ideas to help us shape plans as they progress.

“We want to make sure we design a scheme that meets the needs of the station’s users, as well as enhance the attractiveness of the station as the gateway to Carlisle city centre and the wider Borderlands area.

“The Government has allocated £15m of funding through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal as the first phase of the Carlisle Station Gateway and Citadels project, subject to a business case being approved to secure this investment.”

The project is being developed jointly by the county council and Carlisle City Council, working with Network Rail and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership. Improving the station and its facilities will stimulate investment in Carlisle, believe the partners.

City council leader John Mallinson said the Borderlands Growth deal would be “transformational” for the city.

“The Carlisle Station Gateway and Citadels project is one of the first schemes to progress to this stage and could provide opportunities to improve the parking and access points, as well as creating investment opportunities,” he said.

“We want to make the most of the station and its surrounding areas and want to hear how residents, businesses and users of the railway station think the area could be improved. This is an exciting time for the city, and we encourage everyone with an interest in the station to take part in the consultation.”

Public consultation begins on Wednesday and runs until Wednesday, October 9.

People can see the suggested plans and have their say online at www.cumbria.gov.uk/CSGC or in-person by visiting the venues below, where project team officials will be available to chat:

  • Carlisle Railway Station – Friday, September 20 and Saturday, September 21 from 8am to 5pm;
  • The Lanes Shopping Centre, Carlisle – Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28 from 9am to 5pm.

A display will also be in place throughout the consultation in Carlisle railway station.