MORE than £11m has been invested in improvements to Chester Railway Station and its immediate surroundings in recent years, according to Chester Renaissance.

The works, funded through the private and public sectors, have included the restoration of the mid 19th century listed building, the refurbishment of office space, a new concourse with improved facilities, platform improvements and a new roof.

A number of these projects have been made possible through a £1.1m Heritage Lottery Fund Townscape Heritage Initiative known as ‘Chester Station and Approaches’ which began in April 2007 and is now in its concluding stages.

The final piece in the jigsaw is a Network Rail led improvement and restoration of the listed footbridge which crosses the central railway line and links the main concourse with platforms 4-7.

This involves removing corrugated sheeting to reveal the original attractiveŠironwork of the footbridge, introducing a glazed screen along both sides of the bridge, new lighting and a new roof and improvements to the access steps and landingsŠ either side.

The scheme has been in progress since September last year and is now nearing completion, with the work due to end shortly.

Chester Renaissance says the footbridge is one of the final projectsŠto complete the transformation of the station, which it says plays ‘a key role’ as a public transport hub connecting Chester by rail to many major cities including the hourly service to London.