CONSTRUCTION workers have been given the green light to rebuild a local station ticket office "with better facilities."

Contracts have been signed for the redevelopment of Wickford Train Station, with works set to start almost five years after the ticket office was demolished.

The train company says it was delayed by the Covid pandemic and funding challenges faced by the rail industry afterwards. The project will provide a new ticket office, waiting facilities, and toilets.

The former building was demolished in 2020, and the station currently has rows of hoardings and a temporary ticket office.

Trevor Hammond, Wickford Independents councillor for Wickford North, said: "It's been planned for quite a while. I liked the old ticket office and didn't think it should have been knocked down. It's good we will get another ticket office. It's awful not having one. I think people will be pleased about it and I think most people will say at least we are getting a new building. I think it's still important to have ticket offices for a number of reasons. Some people may not know where they are going or how to pay for tickets using machines."

Mark Francois, Tory MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, has warmly welcomed the news that Greater Anglia have just signed a contract for the rebuild of Wickford station.

He said: "I have been campaigning relentlessly for nearly three years to get Wickford Station rebuilt; so, I warmly welcome the news that a contract to achieve this has now, finally, been signed, between Greater Anglia and Walker Construction.

"My constituents in Wickford deserve a modern station and I'm pleased that work on this project will now commence in just a few months' time.

"I will follow progress on this rebuild closely, including via Ministers in Parliament, to see the project through to completion, hopefully sometime next year."

Martin Beable, managing director for Greater Anglia, added: "We are glad to confirm that the contract for the station upgrade at Wickford is now signed. "We look forward to confirming details of the timings for the delivery of the scheme later in the Spring and then to the implementation of the project to provide customers with better facilities at the station."