PLANS have been unveiled to make it easier for local people to ‘go green’ when travelling to and from Accrington rail station.

 Accrington station is one of 24 sites that are participating in a national Station Travel Plan pilot. The project is being supported by a number of partners including Lancashire County Council, Northern Rail, Hyndburn Borough Council, East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership and bus operator Transdev Lancashire United.

 The Accrington Station Travel Plan sets out a range of measures to provide more convenience and choice for people who want to use sustainable modes of transport. Highlights of the action plan include:

 • a new eco station building that will rejuvenate the station and make it more attractive to users

• improved cycle facilities with the introduction of hoops and lockers

• production of a Bus, Cycle and Walk guide to assist people getting to and from the station by sustainable modes of transport

• promotion of integrated ticketing such as the East Lancashire Day Ranger and PLUSBUS (www.plusbus.info)

• providing directional signage at the station and in the surrounding area which will be particularly beneficial for people walking between the rail station and the current bus station at Peel Street

 Richard Watts, Rail Projects Manager at Lancashire County Council, said: “Building a new eco station for the town is a key part of Accrington’s transport infrastructure and will provide an ideal opportunity for more people to try different travel options rather than the car.”

 The launch coincided with the national launch event that was being held at Southend supported by the Department for Transport. The project builds on plans to improve train travel outlined in the Railways White Paper. It looks at how the rail industry can work with other stakeholders to promote more environmentally friendly means of getting to and from stations.

 Also launched on the day was a set of supporting documents developed by ATOC, Passenger Focus and RSSB, including a comprehensive toolkit that outlines how to develop station travel plans. ATOC has also compiled a series of case studies detailing the pilot stations’ progress over the last year, since they were selected. For more information about the Station Travel Plan initiative, see http://www.stationtravelplans.com/.

 For more information about the Accrington Station Travel Plan contact

Richard Watts, Rail Projects Manager on 01772 534582