By John Connell

Last updated at 13:05, Monday, 09 July 2012

Passengers and rail enthusiasts have welcomed the official opening of Workington’s newly-refurbished railway station.

The £20,000 revamp was opened by Workington MP Tony Cunningham.

He welcomed the investment as “vital” to the future of industry and tourism in west Cumbria.

Tony Potts, the chairman of the Copeland Rail Users’ Group, added: “The investment shows much faith in the future of our local line, and is already being appreciated by users.

“A town’s railway station is its gateway to the world, not only for residents but also for visitors, whose first impressions of a place can be formed by what they see when they arrive.”

Work has included refurbishing the booking hall and the waiting room on platform two, as well as additional seating and providing a new accessible ticket counter.

A public announcement system has also been installed throughout the station.

Lee Wasnidge, area director for Northern Rail, said: “Evidence of successful partnerships are clear for all to see at Workington station today.

Improvements on the Cumbrian coast line allowed over one million passengers to travel last year and the freshly completed work at Workington will help make each journey better for passengers using our services.”

Mr Cunningham predicted that the number of passengers using Workington station and the Cumbrian coast railway was likely increase.

He added that Sellafield was now trying to reduce the number of people using cars to the site and predicted that more people would use the station in future.

The project has been funded by the Department for Transport’s National Station Improvement Programme, delivered in partnership by Northern Rail and Network Rail.

It has been upgraded as part of ongoing improvements to improve the experience of passengers travelling on the Cumbrian Coast Railway.

The improvements have also included damp-proofing, repairs to the canopies and the addition of new floors, ceilings and automatic doors to the booking hall.

A public announcement system and a new heating system have been installed, plus a new booking office window designed with disabled users in mind.

First published at 11:27, Monday, 09 July 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk