Carlisle station makes passengers feel at home with own lounge and kitchen
Wednesday, 19 Feb, 2010
0
Pre-train journey picnicking and plant perusing is expected at historic Carlisle Citadel station after home furnishing company Homebase revamped the Victorian landmark.
The Gothic style station was identified by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as in particular need of some TLC and has this week received a makeover that includes the waiting room becoming a lounge, creating a garden on a platform and installing a kitchen.
Passengers will be able to loll on garden furniture as they await their train and admire the floral displays.
The Homebase/Virgin tie up effectively allows the retailer some great PR and calls attention to Branson’s call for train operators to get more freedom to invest in station. Branson would also like to smarten up Preston and Crewe.
Station manager at Carlisle for Virgin Trains Ann Turner said: “We’re very proud of our station, which looks amazing. The station is full of history and we love it. What has happened has really transformed it and shows what can be done.”
She added: “Response from the local community has been great. We’ve noticed passengers arriving a little bit earlier to allow extra time to enjoy the station and take it all in.”
By Dinah Hatch
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps