Ambitious plans to transform Watford's main train station were unveiled more than four years ago - but not much has changed.
The proposals for Watford Junction, mooted to cost up to £180 million, involved revamping the station, new facilities and thousands of homes.
If all had gone to plan, passengers would now be benefitting from a new modernised ticket hall with substantial progress on the rest of the scheme.
But instead, not much has really changed in recent years apart from to the forecourt, and in light of the pandemic and a new way of working, the whole project is now being reassessed.
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What were the initial plans?
Working with various organisations such as Network Rail and Homes England, Watford Borough Council's vision for Watford Junction is to turn what is overall, a "run down and under-used site" into a "vibrant hub" for people to live and work.
This includes a revamp of the ticket hall in the existing Iveco building in Station Road, along with a new entrance and ticket hall on the eastern side of the tracks and a passenger bridge.
The vision also included around 2,500 homes to be built around the station, a 13-storey building with a mix of offices and housing, a multi-storey car park, new covered bus station, and more offices, shops, and public spaces.
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Where are we at now?
The town's mayor Peter Taylor says regenerating Watford Junction is very much what the council wants to see, but admitted the project has been delayed so that an analysis of a post-pandemic world can be scrutinised.
Passenger numbers at Watford Junction have clearly changed compared to pre-2020 with many city workers adopting a hybrid model of working in the office and from home.
Mr Taylor said: "The key aspect is a reassessment based on passenger numbers; we will get a briefing on that, but we all want to see the concourse."
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With the population of Watford set to grow because of the number of new homes that are predicted to be built, the council is keen to get the project up and running again - but it remains to be seen just how much of the initial proposals become a reality.
The council has committed this site in its draft local plan as an area of strategic development that is capable of delivering a new "urban quarter" of homes and commercial space, as well as an expanded and improved station.
A council spokesperson added: "The council is continuing to liaise with landowners and key stakeholders, including Network Rail and central Government, to promote redevelopment of this land and investment to improve Watford Junction station.
"Emerging proposals were delayed as a consequence of the Covid pandemic. The council is pushing relevant parties to re-commence strategy work to find a solution that can deliver the aspirations as set out in the council’s local plan."
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