Plans have been submitted to Westmorland and Furness Council by Network Rail to transform the disused station house at Penrith Railway Station into a stylish new cafe bar and first floor multi function space.
The station house built in 1846 forming part of the Grade II listed Penrith Station, has long stood empty on Platform 1. Now, under network rail plans, the building is set to be brought back into use through a refurbishment project.
The ground floor will become a Café and Bar with a comfortable lounge area, welcoming rail passengers, visitors, and locals alike. A new accessible toilet will be installed, and a former kitchen area adapted into a functional cellar to support the bar's operations.
The first floor will be opened up to create a flexible space for meetings, small events or private gatherings, while the second floor is planned as a compact residential studio for on-site staff accommodation.
Key architectural features of the listed building building — including sash windows, fireplaces, timber flooring and original doors — will be retained and restored where possible.
A spokesperson for the project said “The refurbishment will have a positive heritage impact, restoring areas of the building that have been damaged or altered to designs more appropriate to its historical character. This work will extend the building's life and help prevent further deterioration.”
If plans are approved by Westmorland and Furness Council refurbishment work is expected to begin on the station building later this year.
Plans for the new station cafe can be viewed and comment made on the application via: Planning Application /2025/1164
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