SOME trains will be cancelled this weekend as Barrow station undergoes a £2.4m makeover.

Renovation work on Barrow’s passenger subway began yesterday, forcing the cancellation of trains between Ulverston and Millom.

Today, tomorrow and overnight between March 7 and 8, engineers will be working to replace the passenger subway between platforms one and two.

On an average weekday, there are four trains running between Ulverston and Millom which take between 55 minutes and one hour.

A bus replacement service will be in operation during the upgrade to keep passengers moving which will take one hour and 37 minutes.

The renovation work is part of the £2.4m Great North Rail Project investment.

The investment will see the old, uninviting subway replaced with a cleaner, brighter route for passengers to move around the station.

Passengers travelling over the affected weekends are being advised to plan ahead and leave more time for their journeys between Ulverston and Millom.

They are also being advised to check before they travel with their train operator or National Rail Enquiries at the website www.nationalrail.co.uk.

“We understand there’s never a good time to close the railway and while this work will be disruptive for passengers, these much-needed improvements will greatly improve Barrow station," said Nathaly Oshodin, scheme project manager at Network Rail.

“We urge people to check www.nationalrail.co.uk if they plan to travel over these two weekends while this renewal as part of the Great North Rail Project takes place.”

Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern, said: “We’re committed to delivering a better railway for our customers – whether it’s new trains, refurbished trains or improved stations.

"The work being carried out by Network Rail is a vital part of this. The new subway will give customers a much better station environment. I’d like to thank them in advance for their patience during the improvements.”