£17M design and build Leicester Station redevelopment contract up for grabs

Leicester City Council has released a £17M contract opportunity to design and construct the planned redevelopment of Leicester Station.The council is tendering the contract in collaboration with Network Rail and East Midlands Railway.As part of the project, the Leicester station’s main entrance will be moved from its current position on London Road to a new position on Station Street. A new plaza will be built at the current site on London Road which will include rainwater gardens and new tree planting.At the new entrance, a new curved ramp, steps and lift will be designed and constructed to provide easy access to a new concourse ticket hall.The works will also reveal the Station Street gfacade of the Grade II listed building, which will be restored to its “Victorian glory” according to the council.It is estimated that the station is used by 5M passengers annually, and this is expected to rise to around 8M over the next 20 years. The renovation will support this uptick.The contract being tendered is for a two-stage delivery, with stage 1 being for early contractor involvement and stage 2 being for the detailed design and construction of the scheme.Leicester City Council is expecting the duration of the contract to run for 28 months with an option to extend for a further 15 months.Those wishing to tender for the contract have until 12pm on 10 June to do so.The project was successful in obtaining £17.6M of Levelling Up Funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.Demolition specialist AR Demolition is currently on site to bring down 48 Station Road and make space for the relocated entrance and open space that will link directly to the Granby Street super crossing and into the city centre.Leicester City mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Leicester’s railway station is a landmark historic building but, as an important transport hub, it needs a radical overhaul to meet the needs of a modern city the size of Leicester.“We have been working closely with our rail industry partners to develop and progress these ambitious plans which will see the station revamped and revitalised. It is a major and complex project that will make a huge difference to the city and its encouraging to see that work is now underway.“The award of almost £18million of extra investment from the Government through the Levelling Up Fund is a tremendous endorsement of the importance of this project. It will help transform the area into a vibrant gateway and make a vital contribution to Leicester’s future growth and prosperity.”Like what you’ve read?