Train firm gets £1.2m offices

8:30am Thursday 22nd May 2008

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TRAIN operator National Express East Coast will move into new offices in York this summer, following a fast-track £1.2 million refurbishment of the property.

The company's move to Albion Wharf, in Skeldergate, from its current outdated accommodation in Station Rise is being seen as a sign of its commitment to the city.

Robin Beagley, director of leading commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton, which has completed a deal to secure the 22,342sq ft building for National Express, said: "This is an extremely positive move and shows a strong commitment from National Express to York, with a relocation from outdated accommodation to efficient modern office space."

He said the refurbishment involved the design, space planning, tendering, cost control and project management of the construction on a fast-track programme working 12 hours a day for seven days a week.

Another director, Paul Hartrick, said LSH's role was to ensure that the refurbishment and fit out programme ran on budget and on time.

"The scheme is challenging and we have already undertaken a unique two-stage tendering programme for contractors.

"We have only been able to achieve this tight timescale due to our experience and knowledge of the quality the selected contractors can deliver.

"We will be taking this 1990s building back to a shell and creating a totally new, high-quality environment befitting National Express Trains regional headquarters.

"This will include the installation of new services including air conditioning and full internal fit-out, including provision of furniture and co-ordination of people moves."

National Express gave a commitment to keeping railway jobs in York when it made its successful bid to take over the franchise to run services down the East Coast from GNER.

The new offices will house National Express' sales and marketing, commercial, finance, operations, engineering, procurement, information technology, compliance, customer service, safety and environment, human resources and communications teams.

The old offices in Station Rise are set to undergo a massive refurbishment to be turned into York's first five-star hotel. The ex-GNER headquarters was sold for £11 million last summer and plans are in place to develop the impressive building into York's first top-grade hotel. Yorkshire-based Acropolis Properties Ltd wants to create a 107-bedroom hotel, providing hundreds of jobs.