Railway stations in Cumbria will undergo £1.2 million-worth of upgrades this year, it has been announced.

The stations on the Cumbrian coast, Lakes and Furness lines will be improved as part of a £15 million scheme.

Upgrades will be carried out at Workington, Whitehaven, Sellafield, Barrow-in-Furness, Burneside, Staveley and Windermere stations.

They will include better seating and waiting areas, revamped toilet facilities and new customer information screens.

Councillor Keith Little, portfolio holder for highways and transport at Cumbria County Council, said: “Last year’s rail disruption had a severe impact on Cumbrian commuters and businesses.

"These much-needed station improvements are very welcome as is a reliable and effective service that meets the needs of passengers. I’m looking forward to seeing the enhancements over the coming months.”

Anna-Jane Hunter, director for the north of England at Network Rail, said: “Together with our railway industry partners, we are making improvements to station facilities at Workington, Whitehaven, Sellafield, Barrow-in-Furness, Burneside, Staveley and Windermere in Cumbria to help improve passengers’ experience.

“We know that passengers in Cumbria were hugely affected by poor performance after the introduction of the May 2018 timetable. While I’m pleased to say that performance is getting much better, we know that there is still much to do.

Rail Minister Andrew Jones added: “I’m pleased to see the first stages of Network Rail’s £15m enhancements package announced, to deliver the more comfortable, accessible and modern stations people expect.

“Working alongside Transport for the North and Richard George, we are also continuing to drive forward a joint recovery project for performance across the north of England – focused on delivering reliable, frequent and punctual services for passengers.”

Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Network Rail to improve our customers’ journey experience.

“We are part way through our own multi-million-pound station improvement programme and this additional cash injection will help to give rail travellers in Cumbria the service they want and deserve.

“And this year, customers will also see the first of our brand new trains introduced onto the network, giving a step-change in journeys between the Cumbrian coast and Manchester Airport.”