PLANS to improve facilities on Chester-le-Street's 'rundown' railway station have been welcomed.

But stationmaster Alex Nelson, who runs the Chester-le-Track ticket agency based on the Network Rail-owned station, says the work is long overdue.

Durham County Council's cabinet has approved the spending of £70,000 on a new passenger shelter on the northbound platform along with cycle parking.

Chester-le-Street District Council is also planning to spend £105,000 on improvements on the southbound side by rebuilding the station canopy, removing an old shelter and fitting a passenger information system.

Mr Nelson said the station, which now has Virgin cross-country and Trans-Pennine trains stopping at it, was becoming better used.

"It is very welcome but it should have been done five years ago. That's when the money was put in to do the station up.

"At the moment passengers waiting to commute to Newcastle on a wet morning have nowhere to stand.

"The station is very well used. We think there are about three times as many people using it as in 1999 - without any improvement in facilities."

People could use the waiting room in the main station building on the southbound platform during the day Monday to Saturday but outside of those times they had to use the platform shelters.

He said an extra facility was now available. Passengers could now get information on trains from mobile phones by texting the letters cls to 484950.

A report to the county council said that a study by consultants concluded that the station was 'rundown' and needed improving.

George Mansbridge, Chester-le-Street Council's head of regeneration, said: "The refurbishment of the station is just part of the council's wider regeneration effort with the help of various partners, particularly One NorthEast and Durham County Council.

"Putting Chester-le-Street on the map is as important as making access to the district as attractive as possible whether by road or rail."