NEW-LOOK Hoylake station is ready to welcome tens of thousands of Open Golf visitors later this month following a £600,000 revamp.

Railway Heritage have been consulted over restoration work carried out at the listed art deco station, built in the 1930s. Improvements, funded by Merseytravel, have been carried out to platforms, booking hall and ticket counter, waiting facilities, toilets, windows, car parking areas and outside brickwork.

It will be officially opened at 11.30am today (Wednesday).

Merseytravel chairman Cllr Mark Dowd, said: "The Open Championship will see huge numbers of people flocking to Hoylake and these improvements will provide an impressive gateway for people coming in by train.

They will make the station much more attractive and more accessible now and in the future."

Inside the booking hall ticket counters can be raised and lowered to comply with the disability discrimination act and wall and floor tiles, doors, handles, frames and boards have been replaced as necessary.

Rotten and damaged window frames has been repaired and glass replaced. There is also a new toilet for the disabled.

Neil Scales, chief executive and director general of Merseytravel, said: "Working closely with Railway Heritage we have carried out these works very carefully because of the building's period features and listed status. We are pleased to have completed the works on time, on budget and without impacting on services."

Car parks and paving at the front of the station have been improved and cctv cameras have been installed.

The existing footbridge has been cleaned and anti-slip surfacing has been added to stairways.

Waiting facilities have been repainted and former glazed panels replaced.

New lighting and fittings have been installed.

A temporary footbridge has been built over the tracks linking the West Kirby-bound platform the departure and boarding platform for the duration of the championship to the car park area at the front of the station. The car park area will be used as a key marshalling area.

A temporary track crossing has also been created across the closed line adjacent to Morpeth Road to provide access between the Royal Liverpool links and the practice course for competitors.