THE rebuilding of Malvern Link railway station, carried out last year, has received an award from Malvern Civic Society.

The much-needed revamp, which cost the Worcestershire County Council almost £500,000, saw the existing station buildings, largely made of wood and dating from the late 60s or early 70s, taken down.

They were replaced by a new booking office and waiting rooms, a new toilet, extra car parking spaces, and improved disabled access to the platforms, including an entirely new ramp from Osborne Road.

The work was done in a Victorian style, which was felt to be more appropriate for the town.

The award recognises the high standard of work carried out by Worcestershire County Council and its partners involved in the project.

Receiving the civic award, county councillor John Smith OBE, the cabinet member for highways, said: "We're delighted to receive this award from the Malvern Civic Society in recognition of the work carried out on Malvern Link station.

"Of course, we are immensely grateful for the work of our partners for helping us to bring this project to completion."

John Dixon, vice chair of Malvern Civic Society, said: "The award committee was very impressed by the transformation which has been achieved there.

"It was heartening that all organisations involved, the county council, Network Rail, the construction company Buckingham and the Railway Heritage Trust were able to work together to provide the vision, the money and the expertise to create such an attractive and convenient facility for the local community."

Steven Fisher, of London Midland, which operates the station, said: “The refurbishment of Malvern Link has made a huge difference to the station and the third-of-a-million passengers who pass through each year.

"With the support of local authorities like Worcestershire County Council we are able to improve people’s journeys. This is showing through in the recent National Rail Passenger Survey which saw passenger satisfaction with London Midland continuing to rise.”

Among the contractors who carried out the work on the station were Malvern Glass, which manufactured all the windows and doors, except the security door, at the refurbished station.