- DfT announcement ends Corby's 17 year wait for the train
- New service to unlock 1hr journey times to London, 3½ to Paris
- Corby no longer the largest town in Europe without a train station
The residents and businesses of Corby are celebrating today following this morning's announcement by the Department for Transport that the Northamptonshire town is to be included in the new East Midlands rail franchise.
The decision paves the way for the construction of a new train station in Corby and the operation of a direct hourly service to London St Pancras. It also means the residents and businesses of Corby will have direct access to a passenger rail service for the first time since June 1990, ending the town's unenviable claim to being the largest settlement in the EU without such a service.
The new franchise will begin in November 2007 and combines the existing Midland Mainline franchise and the East Midlands regional services. Following today's announcement, the Urban Regeneration Company (URC) North Northants Development Company will continue to co-ordinate the delivery of the new station ahead of an anticipated opening in December 2008. It expects to submit a planning application for the new building in the next few weeks.
Today's announcement represents a landmark in the regeneration of the former steel town of Corby, which began in 2003 with the launch of its ambitious Regeneration Framework by the URC Catalyst Corby. It will provide added impetus for burgeoning residential development and the transformation of town-centre shopping and civic facilities, already well underway in the borough.
The new train station, which is to be built at Station Road adjacent to the site of the old station, will not only be the focus of a new integrated transport network for Corby but also unlock an estimated £200m of further commercial investment in the area, creating more than 1,200 retail and office jobs. A new, high-quality business zone incorporating town centre living is earmarked for land surrounding the station itself.
The announcement is also a huge boost for Corby's current 'More in Corby' marketing campaign (www.moreincorby.com) which has already attracted housebuyers from London and other parts of the country to the borough. The new service will mean that Corby is only one hour from St Pancras International and 3½ hours from Paris when the new Eurostar service commences on 14 November 2007.
Today's decision follows years of campaigning by Corby's residents, businesses, the MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire Phil Hope, Corby Borough Council, North Northants Development Company, Catalyst Corby and local media to give Corby not simply access to a passenger rail service but a place on the national rail network.
Commenting on today's announcement, Bob Lane, Chief Executive of NNDC, said:
"This is fantastic news for everyone who lives and works in Corby today and tomorrow. The station will ensure Corby is a destination in its own right and will drive the town's future vitality as well as the viability of new commercial investment. To deliver this key objective of the Regeneration Framework is an outstanding achievement and I would like to thank everyone who has backed the Corby rail campaign."
Phil Hope MP said:
"Corby's future success and prosperity is guaranteed thanks to this Labour Government giving its backing to a new rail station and a direct regular Corby - London rail service. This is the best possible news for the people and business community of Corby who are seeing successful and sustainable growth and regeneration all around. I have campaigned for ten years for this moment and I want to thank the 10,000 people who signed my petition, Corby Borough Council, local companies and the ET for backing the campaign."
Leader of Corby Borough Council, Cllr Pat Fawcett said:
"The real winners in this are the people and businesses of Corby. We want to thank every one of them for their fantastic commitment and support. Together with our new shopping centre and stunning new sporting and cultural facilities, this will confirm Corby as one of the most desirable growth towns in the UK."
Ends
For further information:
Robert Pine/ Sarah Webster ING MEDIA
T: 020 7247 8334 / 07950 413248
E: robert@ing-media.com
About North Northants Development Company - http://www.nndev.co.uk
North Northants Development Company (NNDC) is supported by the Department for Communities and Local Government, the East Midlands Development Agency and English Partnerships, as well as by the local authorities and Northamptonshire County Council. The NNDC area covers the whole of North Northamptonshire and includes the districts of Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough.