A £1 MILLION project has been unveiled to create a second platform, a car park, waiting rooms and a refreshments room at Maryport train station.
The scheme, due to start in the next financial year, has already been hailed by some residents as the towns most significant regeneration project to date.
The major part of the development is building another platform to allow trains to pass and give more flexibility to timetables.
The car park will be constructed on the eastern side of the site towards the town centre and the existing bus shelter-type waiting area will be replaced with a waiting room.
It is also intended that the station would be staffed.
Former town councillor Roger Rivers - who recently changed his name by deed poll from Roger Pooley - has fought for the station to be upgraded. The Mealpot area is falling into disrepair and any real regeneration has to start there, he added.
He was involved in a bitter dispute with the town council when it failed to comment after Allerdale council approved the building of houses next to the station.
"Pity they didn't think about this before those ridiculous houses were built on the land that was officially designated for rail use development, said Mr Rivers, of Netherhall Road.
Its obvious that the Mealpot area is where real regeneration can take place for the benefit of all the stakeholders - residents, businesses and visitors. It should be a transport hub for the town with car and coach parking near the rail station and a footbridge over the river to Senhouse Street," he added.
Bed and breakfast owner Joe Rotheray agreed. He said he is ashamed when guests arrive at Maryport by train and their first sight of the town is the station and its rundown surroundings.
I have photos of the station in the old days and show them to visitors. They are amazed at how it has deteriorated.
The station is atrocious and improving it could only help the town, he added.
County and town councillor Bill Cameron said he was delighted that the work was going to be done.
Cumbria councils passenger transport manager Graham Whiteley said a town of Maryports size deserved better facilities than it has.
The work will be done in conjunction with a £4 million Workington bus-rail interchange.
It will be carried out by the county council and Network Rail and would probably cost more than £1 million. The full extent of the scheme and the cost have still to be finalised.
Mr Whiteley said the work would benefit Maryport and all users of the coastal rail line.
Town mayor Richard Taylor, however, sounded a note of caution.
He said questions must answered before anything was done. These include the impact on roads and the allotments near the station.
I dont want this to become another Senhouse Street, where they went ahead with pedestrianisation and it all went wrong. We were left a laughing stock. We want all the questions answered: do we need this, what impact will it have, who will pay? he added.
