A €16.8 million redevelopment has been announced for Limerick’s Colbert rail and bus station.

Plans include a modernisation of the station and the creation of a €3.75million pedestrian plaza in the city’s heart.

Public Transport Minister, Alan Kelly, arrived in the city to announce the €16.8 million redevelopment of Colbert bus and train station in Limerick.

The plans, prepared by Iarnród Éireann in collaboration with Bus Éireann, Limerick City and County Council and the National Transport Authority, will see a major programme of works carried out on the site in the coming years.

There will be construction of a new pedestrian plaza and public drop-off point that will serve as a civic area for the city, replacing the current car-park and disused fuel station on site.

The train station’s existing toilet block will be demolished to make way for a new bus station, with the current bus station being converted into the access area for a new 235-space car park.

Announcing the news, Minister Kelly said: “This will give both the station and the city a huge boost. The station is in need of investment and the creation of a pedestrian plaza at the front of the station facing the city-centre will provide a new civic space for the people of Limerick while dramatically improving the aesthetics of the area. I can see it becoming a real focal point of the city in time. The plaza is the centrepiece of the works and will open up the station to the entire city,”

The station will be modernised with a seamless interchange between bus and rail services with shared ticketing office, waiting areas and retail spaces. The capacity of the station for both bus and rail will be increased and this will become the key public transport hub serving all of Limerick city.

Colbert station sees approximately 2,500 rail passengers a day serving four rail routes while the Bus Éireann services approximately a million passengers a year with 125 busses departing each day.

The proposal, which will be submitted for planning in the coming months, is consistent with the Limerick 2030 – Economic and Spatial Plan. Subject to planning approval, the project will be completed on a phased basis with funding allocated over a number of years.

The plaza, which will form phase one of the development will be completed within two to three years once planning is granted.

The project will also see a significant refurbishment of the interior of the station with new finishes throughout and provision of a new ticketing office, cafes and shops.

It is intended that the project will be funded through the Regional Cities programme of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.