A Sainsbury’s Local is set to open at St. Albans City station this spring following a two-storey extension and upgrade project carried out by Thameslink

The brand new Sainsbury’s Local store will include the very latest in high-quality, good value convenience range goods including fresh foods, fruit, vegetables and a good selection of branded and own-brand groceries.

Delicious fresh bread and pastries will be available in-store each day alongside a good stock of newspapers and magazines for commuters and shoppers as they pass through the well-used station.

Thameslink Customer Services Director Jenny Saunders said:

“Working closely with St Albans community, we finished upgrading St Albans City station in 2020. There’s a two-storey extension, massively improved facilities and space at Ridgmont Road for post-pandemic commuter crowds.”

“Unsurprisingly, Covid-19 and the general slump in the market put the brakes on finding tenants for the new shop space but we’ve persevered and found a fantastic business to join us. I think it will make a real difference to passenger experience at the station.”

Sainsbury’s Property Director Patrick Dunne said:

“We’re very excited to bring a new Sainsbury’s Local to St Alban’s City Station in the next few months. As a frequent rail traveller myself, I appreciate the value of train stations providing fresh, appealing options to choose from and our other recently opened station stores have proved very popular with customers.”

“Soon the local community and those travelling to and from St Albans by rail will be able to enjoy the convenience, quality and value that Sainsbury’s has to offer.”

Thameslink’s £5.7m upgrade of St. Albans City station was completed in December 2020, transforming passenger facilities and creating space for people to move around with ease. The main station building was extended over two floors, creating the space which will become the new Sainsbury’s Local and has seen the station’s power supply doubled in order to serve the new store.

Station staff rooms have been moved to a new building on platform 4 creating space for a new waiting area which houses another retail unit. New toilets and an extra ticket gate have also been put in place.

Central platforms 2 and 3 now feature an all-glass waiting room with extra space for the increased numbers of commuters travelling at peak times as people return to work following the lifting of the work from home government guidance.

Platform 4 also features a new station entrance building at the Ridgmont Road entrance, which offers more space, two extra ticket gates, new accessible toilets and double the ticket machines.

The new entrance building also includes a space to lock up bikes as part of Thameslink’s aim to increase sustainable travel. Over 220 extra bike spaces have been created using bike racks throughout the station, with double stack racks in place on the main entrance side alongside fencing and complete CCTV coverage to provide improved security.