Merseyrail’s Ainsdale Station scoops top sustainability award

Ainsdale train station has been awarded a top sustainability award for community involvement in the lead up and during the refurbishment project last year.

Merseyrail, a 50/50 Joint Venture between Serco and Abellio, was crowned winner of the CEEQUAL Exceptional Achievement Award in the Community and Stakeholder Relations category alongside designer Owen Ellis Architects and contractor Morgan Sindall.

The station is the most environmentally friendly on the network after extensive renovations completed last July.

The previous booking office was demolished to make way for a new building, complete with solar panels, low energy LED lighting with smart controls and rainwater harvesting tanks to serve the toilet facilities.

Judges were impressed with the team, which they said “went way beyond in delivering the details for the community”, and praised the project for providing “a message to industry on looking for win-wins of delivering multiple outcomes in one project.”

The local community was involved from the outset to ensure that the station was exactly what the village needed, and views and issues raised were taken into account and presented as part of the proposed overall solution.

Changes in the design of the tower and road marking alternations to prevent overflow parking were incorporated following concerns from nearby residents, while the local community was kept informed of progress and consulted throughout the construction phase.

In addition, the station was kept open during the redevelopment programme, ensuring passenger disruption was kept to an absolute minimum.

The refurbishment was funded by Merseytravel and Network Rail.

Andy Heath, Managing Director at Merseyrail, said: “Ainsdale station is a fantastic part of our network and something that represents our commitment to both the community and the environment.

“To be recognised for the hard work all partners put into providing the community with a station that works for them with better technology, facilities and an overall improved experience is fantastic.

“Merseyrail is working hard to be as environmentally friendly as possible and will continue to do so in the coming years.”

The award win comes after Merseyrail achieved a supply of electricity that is 100 per cent generated from renewable schemes.

-ENDS-

Note to editors:

* Merseyrail carries ca 110,000 passengers per weekday and operates one of the most intensively used networks in the UK with more than 600 trains per weekday

* Merseyrail Electrics (2002) is a 50/50 joint venture company between Serco and Abellio, which has a 25 year concession agreement with Merseytravel – the transport executive body and delivery arm of the city region’s Combined Authority