Steve Brine visited Shawford Station to see exciting plans taking shape to breathe new life into a very old building.
South Western Railway’s Customer and Communities Improvement Fund scheme is working with Three Rivers Rail to transform the old ticket office into a new community space.
The MP met with Phil Dominey and Matthew Evans of SWR and Mark Miller from Three Rivers Rail as he received a tour of the works from the construction team on site.
Three Rivers plan to transform the station building into a community café as well as a location for the nearby Cycle Company to display a selection of their e-bikes. Local groups, such as the Cubs, would also be able to use the space for their activities.
Following the visit Steve Brine MP said; “I’m so excited to see something finally being done with this rural heritage site after it laying empty for over thirty years.
“This will be a fantastic opportunity for the local community and will fit perfectly into the village. I’ll definitely be visiting after opening day with my family, as the perfect stop off point when walking along the River Itchen or exploring Shawford Down”
Mark Miller said; “Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership is delighted that South Western Railway has made this space at Shawford available for us and we are working hard to finish the project in the next few weeks. We hope this will create a tourist and leisure attraction which helps bring new life to the local area and encourages more people to visit the South Downs national park.”
Phil Dominey, SWR Senior Regional Development Manager, added; “The refurbishment work at Shawford station is a great example of the kind of community project South Western Railway has been able to support through our improvement fund. We’re delighted to have been able to help with bringing this historic railway building back into use and are particularly pleased to be working closely with one of our community rail partnerships to deliver this scheme.”
Pictured; Mark Miller (blue jacket) briefs Steve Brine MP at the works site joined by representatives from SWR and the contractors.
