RAIL chiefs have promised passengers in East Lancashire that work on the £5.5 million re-vamp of Blackburn Railway station will not affect services.

The Victorian rail shed and platform buildings at the station are to be ripped down and replaced with modern glass waiting areas and a glass dome over the platforms.

Work is scheduled to begin next month and will continue throughout 1999, but Railtrack bosses say there will be minimum inconvenience for passengers.

Spokesman Nigel Barber said: "We are planning to do the work in stages so there will never be any stage when the stations is totally out of action.

"Obviously passengers will notice that work is going on but because it will be done in a step by step way there will be no confusion.

"If there are any problems there is always the currently disused platform four to act as an overflow for trains to arrive and depart."

There are two disused platforms at the station, platforms four and five.

Platform four will be partly refurbished so it can be ready for use at any time and platform five, facing out towards Audley, is to be decorated with public art work.

A new exit is to be created from the station leading out to the Audley area were a large retail park is planned including a multiplex cinema.

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