Plans to repair front of Carlisle station after bus crash lodged with council
The collision happened at the end of November 2023
Plans to repair the front of Carlisle’s Railway Station, which was damaged when a bus crashed into it, have been lodged with Cumberland Council more than a year and a half after it happened.
The collision, which happened at the end of November 2023, saw one person taken to hospital and two people treated at the scene for injuries.
The person who was taken to hospital was 75-year-old pedestrian Roger Denwood, of Cockermouth, who died 15 days later.
The council’s planning department validated the listed building consent application on Tuesday (June 10).
According to a planning statement the station is a Grade II* listed building which is located within the Carlisle City Centre Conservation Area.
Network Rail is proposing to undertake a repair scheme to the main entrance to the station from Court Square.
It states: “The proposal relates to the port cochere; the port cochere comprises six stone masonry buttresses, which support stone masonry arches spanning southeast to north-west. Each arch spans approximately 2400mm between buttresses.
“With the exception of the central arch, all arches have been infilled with dwarf masonry walls and large bespoke glazing panels within metal frames fabricated to match the curvature of the arch. Arch three houses an electric door into the ticket office.
“The frontage was damaged due to a vehicle collision in November 2023. As a result of the collision there has been displacement to multiple stone block sections.”
The investigative surveys confirmed that the following faults have occurred because of the collision:
- Displacement in plan of three courses of the stone masonry units forming buttress three
- Multiple areas of spalling to the surface of stone masonry units forming Buttress three
- Minor outward rotation of arches three and four next to Buttress three
- Damage to and displacement of the dwarf wall below arch two
- Slight rotation of the arches
- Damage to the window frame below arch two
- Damage to the electric door below arch three
- Damage to the internal shop finishes within the WHSmith retail unit Buttress three
Relating to the historic context, it states: “The railway was the culmination of the transport revolution, and was to have major consequences in economic, social and cultural terms.
“Its origins lay in the Georgian period but the railway system’s development was one of the greatest achievements of the Victorians. Its history falls into four distinct phases.
“The pioneering first phase extends from the opening of the Stockton to Darlington (1825) and Liverpool and Manchester (1830) Railways (both by George Stephenson) to the completion of the Great Western Railway from London to Bristol in 1841.
“The second phase runs from 1841 to 1850 and marks the heroic age of railway building and the period of ‘railway mania’ in which commercial speculation and the competition for routes led to the frantic construction of lines, including the Great North Railway and the laying of many of the main trunk lines that form the basis of today’s Inter-City network.
“The third phase, from the 1850s to the 1870s, saw the consolidation of the network including the opening of the dramatic Settle to Carlisle line, carrying the Midland Railway into Scotland. The fourth period runs up to 1914 and saw the completion of the network.”
According to the report the station is considered to be important in the development of rail travel within the UK, due to its role with the rail connections between England and Scotland.
It adds: “To this day, it remains a vital connection point to Scotland along the West Coast Main Line. The station has experienced a number of expansions and developments over the years, but it is largely considered to be in a good state of preservation.”
The planning application is currently being considered by planning officers at the council.