TRAIN company GNER is to give a railway station a £2m facelift next year.

The company, which this year retained the franchise to operate on the East Coast Main Line, owns Durham city's station and plans to carry out work on the southbound platform.

Details have yet to be finalised, as the company is still negotiating contracts with construction firms and needs to seek planning permission for the project from Durham City Council.

GNER owns the station, which is a listed building, and the company gave a commitment in its franchise bid to spend £25m on station modernisation during its seven-year franchise.

A spokesman for the company said the scheme would include a travel centre and shops, as well as improvements to the layout.

He said: "We carried out improvements to the northbound side a few years ago, including extending the car park, but we needed the security of a longer franchise to work on the southbound platform, which is a bigger project.

"Work will start in the spring and we anticipate that it will take about six months.

"The station is the first impression a lot of travellers have of Durham and we see this scheme as fitting in with the developments and improvements that are going on in the city and helping to raise the profile of public transport."

The city's bus station was bought and refurbished earlier this year by Durham County Council which, with Durham City Council and other agencies, is working on a masterplan for development in the city.

Major projects under way or in the pipeline include the Walkergate redevelopment and a scheme for luxury apartments on the site of the city's former ice rink nearby.

Mark Lloyd, chief executive of Durham County Council, gave a "very warm welcome" to GNER's plans.

"Durham railway station is a key gateway to the county and it is critical that it gives a first-rate impression to visitors and businesses, as well as providing an equally first-rate service to local people,'' he said.

GNER also plans to carry out further work on Newcastle Central Station, which has already received substantial investment, and to provide more long-stay parking at Darlington station.