New entrance for Rochdale Train Station

Posted by on 10 Sep 2025

Rochdale’s 196-year-old railway station at Station Road could be on track for a revamp following the submission of a planning application to create a new entrance at the site.

The application, by Rochdale Development Agency (RDA), will transform the visual appearance of the station, which is close to Rochdale town centre and a major gateway into the borough.

The proposals, put together by Seed Architects, will create a new 25m long canopy, significantly larger than the existing one, with a green roof covered with vegetation. New planters will be installed at ground level, alongside new seating and bike racks.

The design takes inspiration from the borough’s heritage, with wave patterns on the canopy
designed to reflect the fluidity reminiscent of spinning cotton fibres, in a nod to Rochdale’s thriving Victorian textile trade. Similarly, the columns supporting the canopy are meant to reflect the grandeur of the main entrance of Rochdale Town Hall, known as the exchange.

The proposals will support a project to improve the station’s underpass which is likely to be delivered in the future.

They will also support a broader multi-million-pound regeneration project being delivered in the immediate area, which will include a new station square to create a new gateway into the borough, new homes, including affordable homes, at the former central retail park site in Maclure Road and 33 new apartments on the corner of Station Road and Maclure Road.

Councillor Danny Meredith, cabinet member for housing and regeneration at Rochdale Borough Council and RDA Board member said: “These proposals will create a real sense of arrival for the many thousands of visitors who travel through this station each and every year. It’s a major gateway in and out of the borough and these plans will ensure that its appearance reflects that, as well as introducing green features which will boost biodiversity.

“Even more importantly, these improvements are part of a much bigger plan to substantially improve this whole area with new, high-quality homes, including social homes, on brownfield sites and a new public square as part of our wider rail strategy to create new homes and commercial and leisure spaces around our key transport hubs.”