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St Albans City Station celebrates milestone moment

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The Mayor of St Albans was one of many who joined Thameslink staff to mark 50 years since the city train station was rebuilt.

To honour the impressive milestone, a mural and commemorative vintage plaque were unveiled at the Thameslink station on Monday 15 May. The mural, designed by Richard Green, depicts a steam locomotive called ‘City of St Albans’ and is inspired by a 1946 train that was built in Crewe and withdrawn in 1963.

As part of the celebrations, a new exhibition has also been unveiled by St Albans South Signal Box Museum, which showcases historic photos of the station before its dramatic rebuild in 1973. The new public exhibition will be on display on Platform 4 throughout the summer.

St Albans City station has undergone many improvements over recent years, including a new footbridge which opened in January 2023. The station is one of the busiest on the Thameslink network north of London.

In 2020, the station benefitted from a £5.7 million upgrade, which saw it extended over two storeys, which made way for a new waiting area with a coffee shop, new toilets, and additional ticket gates at the Ridgmont Road entrance. A small supermarket also opened as part of the development, resulting in greater convenience and better facilities for passengers.

Thameslink’s Customer Service Director, Jenny Saunders,said: “With so much investment happening at St Albans City over the years, it’s fantastic to be celebrating such a significant anniversary. These improvements directly benefit St Albans and its surrounding areas, providing customers with a better, safer station that’s ready for the next 50 years!”

Organised by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and the Beds and Herts Community Rail Partnership (CRP), some of the special guests to attend the event included the Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Councillor Geoff Harrison, MP Daisy Cooper and mural artist Richard Green. Members of The Daylight Club – a social club for adults with physical and other disabilities – attended to see their homemade station signs come to life as part of the art exhibition.

Andy Buckley, from Beds and Herts Community Rail Partnership,said: “It was great to arrange this event to mark the station’s huge milestone with members of the community and station staff. Celebrating this anniversary gives us the opportunity to reflect on how our local station has helped keep families and friends connected for decades. Long may this continue!”

Image credit: GTR

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