New £1.7m canopy for Blackburn railway station
A Lancashire railway station will see more investment after plans for a new platform canopy costing £1.7m are agreed.
Platform four at Blackburn was the only one at the station not get covered over when the station was refurbished about 10 years ago.
At the time, it was rarely used and passengers had to wait in a bus-stop style shelter.
Network Rail said work would start in May on the new facilities.
A new lift will also be installed to serve the platform so passengers will no longer have to struggle up a steep slope from the subway.
Jo Kaye, Network Rail route director, said: "The lack of shelter on platform four is the one thing that passengers have told us they want resolved more than anything. Now the funding has been secured, we will make sure they have the new facilities before the winter weather arrives."
The work will be funded by Department for Transport's Access for All and National Stations Improvement programmes and includes about £200,000 from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.
The canopy will extend to cover almost the entire length of the platform, including the slope from the subway, which is currently exposed.
The project is scheduled to last five months and during this time, platform four will be closed but trains will be diverted to other platforms.