HOLMES Chapel railway station is among a number across east Cheshire due to undergo improvement work as part of a Northern scheme.

The rail operator’s ‘Better Stations’ project is gathering pace following a trial period, in which four stations were equipped with new facilities and tested by customers.

Now, Holmes Chapel is set to benefit from new waiting shelters, upgraded CCTV, ticket vending machines and improved signage.

Liam Sumpter, regional director at Northern, said: “We had a good response to the trial stations and I’m delighted to be able to say that the modernisation of our stations is now fully underway.

“This will be a three-year process which will see the majority of our stations given a new lease of life – with improved facilities to compliment the other work we are doing to modernise the Northern network.

“These are early days for the Better Stations project, but during the coming weeks and months our customers will begin to see changes right across the network.

“Our new facilities, designed specifically for Northern, will create a more modern and welcoming feel as we begin the process of developing Northern as a network fit for the 21st century.

“I’d like to thank everyone who got involved with the initial trial, in May and June, and encourage as many people as possible to get out onto the network to see our modernisation programme in action.”

Work begins this month at stations across east Cheshire and Greater Manchester. Chelford and Goostrey stations are also each set to benefit from customer information screens, upgraded CCTV and a ticket vending machine.

Alongside the Better Stations project, Northern is rolling out a new fleet of refurbished trains across the next 18 months.

Pacers will be removed from the fleet by 2020, by which time 98 new, purpose-built trains will be introduced across the network.

Other stations included in the scheme are Eccles, Glazebrook, Horwich Parkway, Humphrey Park, Moston, Patricroft ,Salford Central, Sandbach and Urmston.