Temporary railway station for flood-hit town

Network Rail (NR) is to build a temporary station to help ease the problem of people affected by the Cumbrian floods, it was announced today.

NR will start work on the station on the north side of the River Derwent in Workington tomorrow.

It will be built on waste land about half a mile from the existing station, reconnecting the two halves of the town which have been cut off following flood damage to footbridges and road bridges in the area.

NR operations and customer services director Robin Gisby said: "We have a wealth of experience and engineering expertise that we felt should be put at the disposal of the Cumbrian authorities.

"Our people will work round the clock on this project."

The two-platform station, linked by a footbridge, will have a ticket office, waiting room and a gravel car park and will be built and ready for its first passengers by the weekend.

All Northern Rail services travelling north and south of the present Workington station will, from the end of the week, also stop at the new station - Workington North.