Ambitious project to transport historic train station to Peterborough set to be completed in 2025

Hopes are that a major project to bring an historic train station to Peterborough’s Nene Valley Railway and Railworld Wildlife Haven will be completed in September 2025.

Works to install the foundations of the old Wansford Road station have now been completed.

Plans are to have the outer shell and roof completed in February 2025 with the internal fit-out to take place over the following six months.

Project leaders are hoping to have the project completed and opened in September 2025 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the world's first public railway (Stockton and Darlington).

It is envisaged that the building will be re-erected and positioned to provide an attractive gateway to the Railworld site and the Nene Valley trains.

Its main function will be the sale of tickets and it will be decorated in the style of a Victorian ticket office, with period artefacts on display.

The small rooms on each side of the centre will be used to host typical railway station services such as a toilet, a tea-room (serving both RWH and NVR customers), a small book/gift shop, and a gift shop.

Existing facilities in the NVR and RWH buildings will be relocated to the new building and the temporary buildings removed.

The building will be open to the public whenever trains are running or whenever the Railworld site is open.

The station has been taken down piece by piece and will be moved to the popular visitor attraction, located off Oundle Road.

Railworld and the Nene Valley Railway have jointly launched the project to save the 1867-built station from demolition to make way for the construction of a new dual carriageway linking scheme between the A47 and the A1 at Wansford and Sutton.

The Wansford Road station, built in brick with a limestone exterior and features a booking office and waiting room and administration office, was built to serve the residents of Wansford.

After its closure in 1929 it was converted into a residence but has been unused for some time.

The project is being supported by National Highways which has allocated up to £2m to the project but fundraising efforts are still being held to raise around £200,000 to help fit out the building and revamp the existing landscaping.

Stan Bell, secretary and treasurer of the Wansford Road CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation), which has been created especially to focus on the reconstruction of the station, said: “Achieving our timeframe depends upon the finances.

"We've been incredibly lucky to have the support of National Highways. Their designated funds program has borne the cost of the careful dismantling, the planning permission submission, and they have allocated almost £1/2m to the rebuilding.

"This will cover the shell and the roof but we are around £200k short for the fitting out and landscaping that will make an attractive visitor centre in this neglected part of the city.

"So that's the overall target of our fundraising. The JustGiving program is not expected to raise that amount, we are also applying to a range of grant-funders for help with specific parts.”

To support the fundraising efforts of Nene Valley Railway, visit https://checkout.justgiving.com/c/3645331.