Sci-Tech Daresbury welcomes train station proposal

Responding to Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotherham’s proposal for a new train station in Daresbury by 2030, John Downes, Group Chief Executive of Langtree and Chairman of joint venture Sci-Tech Daresbury – a private-public joint-venture partnership between developers Langtree, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and Halton Borough Council - said:

“A new train station at Daresbury would be fantastic news for our campus. While we already benefit from excellent connectivity – from being at the heart of the North West’s motorway network to being located between the region’s two airports – an enhanced rail link would further bolster our offer to current and future campus businesses and their staff, and make Sci-Tech Daresbury even more attractive to companies from around the world that are looking to invest in the UK.

“This is currently a very exciting period for our campus, with our next phase of development coming forward - a £24m speculative development totalling 83,000 sq ft. Further stages of development will also follow which will see the number of people working on the campus increase from 2,000 to around 10,000 over the next 15 to 20 years. Our own investment by the joint venture in our estate, combined with the inspirational work of our companies, means we feel justified having such ambitious targets.

“The proposed rail link would be another mechanism to help us achieve our goal – improving the access to talent, connectivity to other infrastructure and allowing more partners to access the world class research facilities and expertise at the Science and Technology Facilities Council's Daresbury Laboratory.”

Paul Vernon, Head of STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, said:

“The announcement of a proposed new station for Daresbury is incredibly positive and aligns with our long-standing aspirations. Such a development would contribute to the future growth of the campus, enhancing accessibility and inclusivity for the entire region. It also underscores our commitment to reducing car journeys and carbon emissions, promoting a more sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation system.”