A new guide will be published on Wednesday (18 May) which sets out a series of options for regenerating communities and high streets by using Britain’s railway stations as catalysts for place-based investment.

Ahead of the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) event in Leeds this week, the Railway Industry Association (RIA) is launching A Guide for Station Development, a practical delivery resource designed by Grant Thornton UK. The guide is the first of its kind and will help public bodies, local authorities and private sector partners leverage and transform the UK’s station estate and surrounding areas into engines of economic and social growth.

Stations are more than transport assets. They have the potential to unlock housing, jobs and community regeneration. A new approach is needed to fulfil their potential.

RIA Policy Director Robert Cook said: “With 85 per cent of the population living within 5km of a railway station, there is a huge opportunity to rethink how we use our stations, and the land surrounding them, as a means to regenerate communities and high streets.  

“RIA has proposed creating Station Investment Zones to create housing and job opportunities, and this new practical guide produced by Grant Thornton summarises the steps that are needed.”

Wayne Butcher, Director, Consulting, Grant Thornton said: “A well-delivered station will do far more than provide access to the rail network – it shapes how places grow, how communities connect, and helps drive local economies.

“This guide is about providing a framework to provide the commercial discipline to ensure investment decisions are consistent, prioritised and aligned to delivering the greatest long-term value from station investment, and maximise the benefits for local people.”

RIA and Grant Thornton look forward to working with Government, Network Rail, Great British Railways, Combined Authorities and train operating companies to adopt this guide as a shared framework for delivery.

The guide is being launched at the Railway Industry Association’s Future of Rail: Investment – A UKREiiF Fringe Event on 20 May. The full guide is available on the Railway Industry Association website from 20 May.