3.25bn to be spent on railway jobs
Network rail has announced a massive commitment to a five year plan for refurbishing the UK's railway stations.
A £3.25bn budget will be spent on projects throughout the country, with several commitments already announced. Over £100m has already been committed to improvements at Birmingham New Steet, BlackFriars, Edinburgh Waverly, Kings Cross, and London Bridge. Smaller commitments have also been made to stations in Manchester, Leicester and Oxford.
Network Rail's operations and customer service director, Robin Ginsby, said that imrpovements would be based on user feedback. He announced that Network Rail will be launching a three month researach project asking passengers where investments would be most effective.
The possibilities for improvements to UK railway stations will vary from location to location, but as a large scale civil engineering job at a national level it is sure to offer work opportunities throughout the country.
Basic improvements to stations will create jobs in construction, with labour jobs as varied as extending platforms or installing new lifts or stairways. Design Engineering jobs and electrical jobs will also form a keystone of the commitment. Improvements to lighting, CCTV and passenger information systems are extremely likely developments for many stations in the UK.
After the three month research project has finished, the rail operator will consider results alongside the report made by Lord Adonis, the transport minister, and decide its priorities. Then it will open bidding on its development contracts to the recruitment agencies and private operators who will provide the manpower to put the plans into action.