Network Rail has begun work on improving platform canopies and accessibility at Luton station in Bedfordshire.

Workers will replace the canopies on platforms 1 and 2, which are several decades old and are leaking due to storm damage.

Over the next seven weeks, scaffolding will be erected on the two platforms to facilitate the replacement work.

The new canopies are due to be fully in place by spring next year. The platforms will remain in use throughout the work.

In spring 2024, work on the station’s Access for All scheme will start. This will entail the installation of a new, accessible bridge with three lifts to enable passengers to access the platforms without having to use steps. The work will take a year to complete.

Luton Station Action Group, which has over two thousand members on Facebook, has been calling for these improvements for several years.

Gary Walsh, route director for Network Rail in the East Midlands, said: “I know how strongly the community who use Luton station feel about these improvements and am pleased they will be able to see progress on site very soon.

“Inevitably the bridge and lift work will cause disruption to those who use the station. We’ve worked hard to design our scheme to keep disruption to the minimum possible and I thank passengers for their patience and understanding while we erect the scaffolding. Safety measures will be in place to protect passengers using the platforms.

“Work to the canopies and the subsequent work to make the station more accessible is essential to make Luton station better for all those who use it.”

Govia Thameslink Railway Customer Services Director Jenny Saunders said: “Our passengers at Luton rightly deserve better station facilities and we’re delighted this work is now going to start.”