Merseytravel has started a £2million facelift for the interior of Lime Street Station. A key gateway for millions of travellers to the city every year, the works include a series of improvements to the southern concourse of the station, including new flooring, the relocation of a glazed screen, new information screens, a relocated taxi rank, improved pick up/drop off point, extra cycle parking, extra seating and a new short stay car park with spaces dedicated for disabled people.

The improvements to the south concourse of the station, due for completion in May 2007 and separate to the external works being carried out by English Partnerships and Liverpool Vision, is part of Merseytravel’s ongoing commitment to enhancing key stations in Liverpool city centre and across the wider region.

Councillor Mark Dowd, Chair of Merseytravel, said: “Lime Street Station is such an important gateway for the region and first impressions are important. At the moment the impression we are giving the millions of people every year isn’t great, particularly inside the station. The station flooring adjacent to the trains has remained untouched since before Beatle Mania. Our investment will help to change that. Lime Street Station is going to be very important over the next two years, with Liverpool’s birthday and the 2008 celebrations, but this is also about leaving a lasting legacy of improvement that will shape people’s perceptions for many years to come.”

Neil Scales, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, added: “We will be working to ensure we cause very little disruption while these internal works take place but they are important if Lime Street Station is to reflect the changing, growing face of Liverpool and the wider region.”

Network Rail, on behalf of Merseytravel, will carry out the work near to platforms 7, 8 and 9 of the station, over the next six months.

Plans include resurfacing the south concourse in slip resistant ceramic tiles. Contrasting coloured flooring tiles will define the edges and seating areas.

The decorative glazed screen, currently forming a barrier in the south concourse of the station, will be relocated for better access to the platforms and to the Skelhorne Street entrance/exit of the station. The entry/exit is currently the highest used in the station (more than 40 per cent of all users enter this way).

New 20” data display screens will provide clearer, more defined information for passengers.

The taxi pick up/drop off point for the station will be relocated from the existing Lord Nelson Street to the Skelhorne Street side of station. Kerb heights will be also raised to provide level boarding, making taxis accessible to all users.

Seven new dedicated drop off and pick up points will be created, including an extended point for rear loading blue badge holder vehicles.

The short stay parking area within the station will be improved and made fully accessible. Once completed it will include 29 spaces including four blue badge spaces.

Cycle parking on the Skelhorne Street side of the station will also be improved, with the existing five cycle stands relocated inside the station and a further six stands built in, with heavy duty stands for motorcycles.

A Help Point and new seating will be installed along the route from the pick up/drop off point and short stay car park to the station’s southern concourse, platforms and facilities.

Additional seating will be installed at the south concourse of the station.

A double height handrail will be provided at the Skelhorne Street station entrance to aid passengers up the existing slope between Skelhorne Street and the station entrance.