February 8 2021

Scottish Borders Council has handed Network Rail the al-clear to build a new railway station serving the village of Reston on the East Coast Main Line, despite reservations around the absence of a public cafe or toilet.

Designed by IDP Architects the new halt will restore mainline access for the first time since 1964 when the station fell victim to the Beeching axe.

Delivered in concert with Transport Scotland, BAM Nuttall and Arup the new station will include a high-level 'ribbon bridge' clad in Corium brick tile to provide platform to platform access, doubling as a visual marker for the station from the High Street.

IDP wrote: "The concept proposal of the ‘ribbon bridge’, developed by Arup and Knight Architects is one of the new standard footbridge designs for stations promoted by Network Rail.

"The Ribbon bridge design has been developed in response to Network Rail’s desire to improve both the passenger experience and the aesthetic quality of new station footbridges applying Network Rail’s ‘Principles of good design’ in particular inclusivity while developing a clear identity of ‘railway architecture’ that responds to local context and heritage."

This template design will be adapted to provide direct elevator access from a low-level car park positioned below both platforms which rest on an existing embankment.  

11 Comments

#1 Posted by Graeme McCormick on 8 Feb 2021 at 14:11 PM

These stations just stick out as sore thumbs in the landscape.

Surely something with artistic merit could be designed?

#2 Posted by Hamish Ashcroft on 8 Feb 2021 at 18:45 PM

I don’t know much about this but on first appearance seems like I slightly odd place to build a big expensive new station. It’s on a busy mainline, on that section they could just fly down high speed without stopping. Reston is a tiny village and I know it would service Eyemouth and the wider area but that isn’t exactly very close. Just seems a bit odd. Seems like there are many other places you could build a station that would have far higher ridership...

#3 Posted by monkey9000 on 9 Feb 2021 at 09:57 AM

The whole station is on an embankment but a bridge has been designed over the whole thing? Surely the most elegant and less visually intrusive approach should have been using a series of underpasses?

#4 Posted by Damp Proof Membrane on 10 Feb 2021 at 10:31 AM

No joy there uh.

#5 Posted by Dave Davidson on 10 Feb 2021 at 10:33 AM

Reston will only be around a 30 min commute into Edinburgh by train, the area around it will likely become an Edinburgh commuter settlement and property prices will go up significantly. The nearby town of Eyemouth looks nice.

#6 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 10 Feb 2021 at 11:04 AM

Given the design on show you would not know it rained in Scotland.

Also the design looks like it was sponsored by the Brick Council -- very heavy / very drab / very boring.

#7 Posted by Dave Davidson on 10 Feb 2021 at 14:22 PM

#6 This station looks very very similar to the Montrose railway station and that one works fine.

#8 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 10 Feb 2021 at 14:46 PM

There is an issue regarding how it works and how it looks.

The lack of coverage on the steps and on the walkway is a big fail given our weather.

The east coast should only be considered dry relative to the rest of Scotland.

The whole design looks heavy and lacking in character -- it was phoned in by someone who loves bricks.

Consequently could do better.

#9 Posted by monkey9000 on 10 Feb 2021 at 15:55 PM

#8 To be fair it has drawn it's influence from Prestwick International Train Station, widely regarded as one of the finest stations in Europe. Can't be helped if the designer for Reston doesn't have the same amount of flair and panache to quite nail it, the budget isn't there after all.

#10 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 10 Feb 2021 at 16:15 PM

There is an issue regarding how it works and how it looks.

The lack of coverage on the steps and on the walkway is a big fail given our weather.

The east coast should only be considered dry relative to the rest of Scotland.

The whole design looks heavy and lacking in character -- it was phoned in by someone who loves bricks.

Consequently could do better.

#11 Posted by Hamish Ashcroft on 18 Feb 2021 at 17:36 PM

I don’t know much about this but on first appearance seems like I slightly odd place to build a big expensive new station. It’s on a busy mainline, on that section they could just fly down high speed without stopping. Reston is a tiny village and I know it would service Eyemouth and the wider area but that isn’t exactly very close. Just seems a bit odd. Seems like there are many other places you could build a station that would have far higher ridership...

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