Plans have been submitted to overhaul Reading West Station.
The proposals include a new station building, with ticket gates at the Tilehurst Road and Oxford Road entrances, new toilets, and a cafe.
The £3.3 million project will significantly improve safety and security, according to Reading Borough Council (RBC).
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Councillor Tony Page, RBC’s lead member for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, said: “Regular rail users will recognise that Reading West Station has been in need of a major facelift for many years.
“This joint council and GWR project will deliver a modern new station building, which will be safer and more welcoming for local residents and regular commuters.
“It will boast new ticket gates at both the Tilehurst Road and Oxford Road entrances, new toilets and a café, all of which will deter instances of anti-social behaviour.
“In addition there will be an improved bus interchange and cycle parking, making for a seamless transition from bus and bike to train.”
The planning application has been submitted by Great Western Railway (GWR), who are working in partnership with Reading Borough Council and Network Rail, and is expected to be considered in the coming months.
If approved, work is due to start by March 2021, with the project taking approximately a year to complete.
There is not enough funding for disabled lifts despite calls for better access over the past few years.
Reading West Station sits just off Oxford Road and is on the Reading to Basingstoke and Reading to Newbury line.
Nicola Scott, Interim Regional Development Manager East at GWR, said: “We are delighted to be working with Reading Borough Council and Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to modernise Reading West station.
“These changes will not only improve the station for our customers, they will support the local and regional economy once it starts to recover, and will mean a cleaner, greener environment from better transport integration.”
The Reading West Station project is funded by £3.1m local growth funding from Thames Valley Berkshire LEP, £200,000 Section 106 funding secured by Reading Borough Council and stations improvement funding from GWR.
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