News on Explore Station

Thank you for participating in ExploreStation – a nationwide initiative to explore an exciting new future for the design of small and medium-sized railway stations across Britain. We were excited to receive over 2,000 comments and over 6,000 visitors to the Commonplace website, along with feedback from conversations we held at online and in-person workshops in Sheffield, Bristol and Cardiff.

As you know, Round 1 detailed and asked for your views on: the design principles; the ‘kit of parts’ approach; the individual elements of the kit of parts, including the landscape and activity framework; creating a more inclusive experience and the way the design addresses Network Rail’s sustainability and biodiversity strategies.

The Round 1 results demonstrated significant support for the design principles, the design, including the ‘kit-of-parts’ approach, and for stations to play a greater role in civic life. There was also considerable support for how the design helps to address climate change and biodiversity loss. A lot of you were keen to see this station delivered where you live.

However, some of you expressed concerns about the openness of the station design and how protected people would be from the elements, wind and rain in particular, as well as expressing a desire for more information on the station waiting areas and how the proposals will fit into the diverse contexts within which it may be located.

7N Architects are currently responding to these and other comments we received and you will be able to see and tell us more of what you think of these more detailed designs, and how it will affect your experience of stations, at Round 2 of ExploreStation .

The ExploreStation Team, led by Design Council with our partners Digital Urban , The Glass-House Community Led Design and Commonplace , are now delighted to announce our Round 2 programme. In addition to the online Commonplace platform, which anyone anywhere can use to view the updated proposals and give their thoughts, we will host online and in-person workshops once again. We have also added a new activity at this stage; we are hosting a series of pop-up immersive virtual reality experiences, at which you can use VR goggles to move through the station.

These free workshops and immersive experiences will take place at locations across Britain in February 2022, and we’d like you to be involved.

We have listed the event dates, locations and times below and booking will open in the New Year – for now, we encourage you to save the date .

If you cannot make it, don’t forget you will be able to engage with updated ExploreStation Round 2 proposals through Commonplace, explorestation.commonplace.is , at any time from the beginning of February until 14 March 2022.

Thanks again for your interest in ExploreStation. We wish you the best for the festive season and a wonderful New Year. We’re very much looking forward to, hopefully, meeting you at one of our February 2022 events!

Best wishes,

The ExploreStation Team

ExploreStation immersive virtual reality pop-up events

Each pop-up offers the option of bookable or walk-in slots from 10:00–17:00 each day (10:00–18:00 in Hereford and Paisley). The full guided experience takes between 15 and 20 minutes. In line with Covid-19 protocol, all touch points will be cleaned between visits.

• York (National Railway Museum) – 2 and 3 February

• Shildon (Locomotion Museum) – 5 and 6 February

• Manchester (Science and Industry Museum) – 9, 10 and 11 February

• Hereford (Shell Store) – 15, 16 and 17 February

• Paisley (Telfords Paisley) – 22 and 23 February

Each event will be accompanied by a mini exhibition presenting the ExploreStation journey so far.

ExploreStation collaborative design workshops

Workshops run from 18:00 to 20:30 with refreshments and dinner provided.

• Brighton– 8 February

• Liverpool– 10 February

An online workshop focusing on how the station accommodates those who identify as neurodiverse and or physically and mentally disabled will take place on 01 March from 18:00 to 20:30.

• Online workshop – 01 March