Reston station prepares to welcome first services

The station has been backed by £20 million of investment from the Scottish Government. Completion will enable trains to call at the village for the first time since 1964 – with services set to call from Monday 23 May.

The station, which sits on the East Coast Mainline, boasts 270m platforms which cater for 10 carriage trains and is fully accessible with step free access from ground level onto platform 1 and across the railway via a footbridge with lifts.

The station footbridge at Reston is the first structure of its type to be installed on the UK rail network. Spanning 16 metres across the railway, the ‘Ribbon’ footbridge design improves both the passenger experience and the aesthetic quality of station structures.

The 70-space car park, which widens the station’s appeal beyond the village itself, includes provision for blue-badge parking and electric charging points. It also offers a bus stop with shelter and a designated drop-off area creating the new transport inter-change.

Work at the station got underway in March 2021 following a period of advance works to divert a water main which crossed the site. As well as construction of the station, work included upgrades to the electrification and signalling equipment through the area.

Reston station is an investment in transport but also in our economy, communities and our environment. It will deliver significant benefits by enhancing the public transport network, improving active travel networks and developing economic, leisure and tourism potential.

It will serve the village and wider Berwickshire area and will enable easy access to Edinburgh and Newcastle and onwards across the national rail network. As well as improving transport connectivity, it will help transform the economic outlook of the area it will serve.

Jenny Gilruth, Scottish Government Minister for Transport, said: ‘I am delighted that work to construct the new Reston station is now complete ahead of services calling at the station for the first time. Our Programme for Government made a commitment to decarbonising Scotland’s Railway and growth in rail use is an essential part of decarbonising the total transport mix. The £20 million investment provided by the Scottish Government for Reston station and investment in other new stations is one way to make travelling by rail an easier option and enable more people to choose the sustainable transport option as an alternative to using the car. The new Reston station will provide a step-change in provision of public transport in the area and will help transform Reston and the surrounding communities that will benefit from the transport interchange and the improved connectivity it delivers.’

Alex Hynes, managing director of Scotland’s Railway, said: ‘It is part of our commitment, alongside the Scottish Government, to expand the rail network and connect Scotland’s Railway to new communities. The opening of the station at Reston is an exciting development that has the potential to transform life for local people and the communities it will serve. This station will create new social and economic opportunities for people in the Village and in the surrounding area and we look forward to welcoming services back to Reston - and to seeing the positive impact the railway will have in years to come.’

Sam Smith, Chief Officer for Economic Development at Scottish Borders Council, said: ‘The completion and opening of the new Reston station is a momentous occasion for communities across Berwickshire and I am delighted to welcome a train service to the village again after a gap of almost six decades. The Council has worked tirelessly to make this project a reality, investing almost £3 million in this project, as we believe it will be transformational for Berwickshire and the wider area, making it more attractive for inward investment and sustainable, which in turn will help support communities and deliver inclusive economic growth. Easy access to services on the East coast mainline services opens up a world of opportunity for local people but also provides a platform to attract people to Berwickshire and capitalise on its fantastic leisure and tourism potential.’

Huw Jones, BAM Nuttall Managing Director, Transport said: ‘In the last ten years, BAM Nuttall has been involved in the building or reopening of 27 stations across the UK but it always brings me the most satisfaction to deliver brand new stations like this, seeing a community connected to the rail network for the first time in half a century. I would like to thank the BAM and Network Rail teams along with our supply partners who have worked so hard to deliver this project in a very concentrated period of time.’

Huw Jones, BAM Nuttall Managing Director, Transport said: ‘In the last ten years, BAM Nuttall has been involved in the building or reopening of 27 stations across the UK but it always brings me the most satisfaction to deliver brand new stations like this, seeing a community connected to the rail network for the first time in half a century. I would like to thank the BAM and Network Rail teams along with our supply partners who have worked so hard to deliver this project in a very concentrated period of time.’

Network Rail is encouraging anyone with any questions about the project to email restonstation@networkrail.co.uk or call our 24-hr helpline on 03457 11 41 41.

Notes to Editors

A station opened in the village of Reston in 1846 but the last passenger services stopped in 1964. 

The new Reston Station will represent an investment of circa £20 million in our infrastructure.

Reston will be served by eight trains per weekday in each direction mainly operating between Edinburgh and Newcastle.  Seven services will be offered by TransPennine Express with the other being offered by London North Eastern Railways.

The new station at Reston includes;

• Two new 270m long, 4m wide station platforms and associated furniture (waiting shelters, seating and ticket machines) and 1.5m steel fence to rear of both platforms. The embankment has been widened to accommodate the platforms;
• A new footbridge crosses the railway, incorporating lift shafts and stairs on either side. The north lift shaft reaches a height of around 17m and serves three levels: the interchange (ground level), the north platform, and the bridge crossing.

The southern shaft sits raised off the embankment serving the southern platform and bridge crossing only, with an overall height of around 13m. The crossing sits 6.2m above the height of the railway, and around 13.5m above the level of the car park.

The largest section, the main bridge span was 16 metres long and 6.5 metres wide weighed more than 28 tonnes.

• Escape stairs and footpaths on either end of the platforms, on both sides;
• Lighting columns throughout the site and associated infrastructure/ equipment including CCTV
• At Reston Main Street, a new mini roundabout has been created close to the existing junction with the Orchard, which has been closed to vehicles.
• From the new mini roundabout, a new road and footway/ cycle path was created parallel with The Orchard to serve both the new station and the Orchard.
• Towards the railway embankment, a new transport interchange has been created. A one-way loop road serves a car park, bus stop with shelter and a drop-off space. The car park provides an initial 70 spaces including blue badge priority parking and electric vehicle charging.

The project has allowed for a 40-space extension. Land to the north is included within the proposed site to safeguard further land for potential later expansion of the car park.

Cycle storage facilities are provided.

In addition to the creation of the station, work was also carried out to upgrade the overhead lines through the new station to make the most of the access to the line.

Reston Station construction in numbers

Station footprintConcrete usedDrainage and ductingConcrete reinforcementPlatform pilesFootbridge pilesPiles for electrification mastsElectrification wiringFootbridge installationFootbridge lengthFootbridge width (widest)Footbridge total weightPrecast platform foundation unitsPrecast platform slabsPrecast stair sectionsStation cablingPrecast culverts

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