Stafford station's £1 million makeover set to start
A £1 million revamp of Stafford railway station will start on Monday.
Virgin Trains revealed that contractors are ready to start initial work on the 16-week project with full construction to start on October 13.
It is planned that the project on Station Road will be completed by February next year.
A Stafford Borough Council spokesman said: "This continues the improvements that have already been made and demonstrates the confidence the train operators and Network Rail have in investing in Stafford.
"This development is another example of the huge regeneration that is taking place in Stafford now."
Virgin Trains, which runs Stafford railway station, unveiled £1 million plans in June to transform the site.
The ticket hall and foyer will be undergo a facelift in a 16-week renovation project, with contractors are ready to start initial enabling works from Monday.
Full construction will start on October 13 and the project in Station Road is due to be completed by February next year.
Richard Stanton, communications manager for Virgin Trains said the team behind the project are keen to begin.
He said: "The team is certainly looking forward to making this happen and are committed to keeping disruption to a minimum so it should hopefully be business as usual. The advice is however to allow for slightly more time before your train if you are wanting to buy or collect a ticket."
From Monday, contractors will be on site making preparations for the main works which include moving signage and some station furniture ahead of the construction in October.
Mr Stanton added: "The team will start preparing new cabling routes in readiness, so whilst some eagled eyed customers may notice, the major changes won't start until early next month."
As part of the revamp, the station will double the number of self-service fast ticket machines available for commuters and the size of the waiting room will also be increased.
Glass barriers will be removed from the ticket inquiry desks and a podium for staff to welcome passengers will be installed alongside a customer service desk. The travel help centre next to WH Smith is set to become a larger shopping area and the Pumpkin Café will also be revamped but the LK Gourmet Coffee Unit on the platform will remain the same.
The project is part of a £20m investment by Virgin Trains in its West Coast Main Line franchise, including £8m on railway stations.
