Mott MacDonald to lead Windermere station upgrade as part of wider Gateway vision

Mott MacDonald has been appointed by Westmorland and Furness Council to design a concept masterplan for an upgraded Windermere railway station, a move aimed at remaking the arrival experience for visitors to the Lake District and improving local transport links.

The design team will work on creating a “vibrant, high‑quality” transport hub, improving connections for pedestrians, cyclists, taxis and buses, and upgrading the public realm and wayfinding around the station. The appointment places particular emphasis on heritage-sensitive interventions: Windermere sits within a conservation area and the Lake District World Heritage Site.

Mott MacDonald will provide overall project management, urban design, engineering and stakeholder engagement. The practice will partner with Owen Ellis Architects on station architecture and Donald Insall Associates to advise on heritage issues.

The masterplan forms one element of the broader Windermere Gateway programme, a multi‑partner initiative led jointly by Westmorland and Furness Council, the Lake District National Park Authority, the National Trust and developer Urban Splash. The Gateway aims to tackle congestion and poor active‑travel links around the town, while also creating a mix of new homes – including affordable housing – jobs and improved sustainable transport connections.

The scheme will build on the Windermere Gateway Transport Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document adopted in 2021 and be used to attract funding for the proposed upgrades.

Windermere is the northern terminus of the branch line from Oxenholme, which also connects to Manchester Airport.

Local leaders have for some time highlighted pressures on the town: vehicle access to the station and town centre is described as inefficient, key junctions experience congestion and walking and cycling connections are poor. Housing affordability is also cited as a local issue.

The Gateway vision focuses on several strands: improving roads around the station, delivering mixed tenure housing on land released by the National Trust (including space for a new National Trust office), upgrading the rail and bus interchange, and enhancing walking and cycling links and public realm.

Project partners say a feasibility study has been carried out to explore options and costs. Short‑term aspirations include improving the forecourt for taxis, buses and drop‑offs, enhancing passenger facilities and wayfinding and better pedestrian and cycle access into the town.

Separately, plans have been submitted to government for a passing loop and new platform at Burneside on the Windermere branch line. If funded, the scheme would allow two trains per hour – potentially increasing passenger capacity, reducing road congestion and cutting greenhouse gas emissions according to proponents.

Read more here - https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/mott-macdonald-to-lead-windermere-station-upgrade-as-part-of-wider-gateway-vision-10-03-2026/