The Mayor of St Albans joined Thameslink staff and others to mark fifty years since the rebuilding of the City train station.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and the Beds and Herts Community Rail Partnership (CRP) organised the event, which welcomed guests including the Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Councillor Geoff Harrison, MP Daisy Cooper and mural artist Richard Green. Also attending were members of The Daylight Club – a social club for disabled adults – who saw their homemade station signs come to life as part of the art exhibition.

Among those who joined the celebrations was Siggy Cragwell, Thameslink’s oldest employee who worked as a platform supervisor at St Albans station between 1990 and 2002. Local ward councillor Chris White also attended.

To mark the half-century milestone, a mural and commemorative vintage plaque were unveiled at the station on Monday,15 May. The mural was designed by Richard Green, and shows a steam locomotive called ‘City of St Albans’. inspired by a 1946 train built in Crewe and withdrawn in 1963.

St Albans South Signal Box Museum is staging an exhibition of historic photos of the station before its transformation in 1973. The exhibition will be on display on Platform 4 for the whole summer.

St Albans City station has undergone improvements over recent years, including a new footbridge which opened in January this year. It is one of Thameslink’s busiest stations north of London.

In 2020, the station benefitted from a £5.7 million upgrade, in which it was extended over two storeys, making space for a new waiting area with a coffee shop, new toilets, additional ticket gates at the Ridgmont Road, and a small supermarket.

Thameslink’s Customer Service Director, Jenny Saunders, said: “With so much investment happening at St Albans City over the years, it’s fantastic to be celebrating such a significant anniversary. These improvements directly benefit St Albans and its surrounding areas, providing customers with a better, safer station that’s ready for the next 50 years!”

Andy Buckley, from Beds and Herts Community Rail Partnership, said: “It was great to arrange this event to mark the station’s huge milestone with members of the community and station staff. Celebrating this anniversary gives us the opportunity to reflect on how our local station has helped keep families and friends connected for decades. Long may this continue!”