A start has been made on a £3.4m scheme to improve facilities for rail passengers using Liverpool's Lime Street station.
Two new passenger lounges, an information point, three shops and railway staff accommodation are being built in the Network Rail scheme.

The new facilities, which will mostly serve long-distance travellers, will be built on the old cab road between platforms seven and eight, which used to be used by Royal Mail vehicles and black cabs.

Peter Strachan, route director at Network Rail, said: "Every day over a thousand passengers use the long-distance platforms at the station. At the moment, they have limited seating on that side of the station and virtually no other facilities.  This investment is designed to get their journey off to a good start by giving them access to much-needed seating, information, cash machines and other services that a station of Lime Street's importance should provide for people making inter-city journeys."

Preparation work has begun on the Lime Street Gateway project which will reveal the listed Victorian frontage of the station

Overall completion is scheduled for early 2010.