TOP level talks are to take place to push for a £30m revamp of Crewe Station.

Crewe and Nantwich MP Gwyneth Dunwoody and borough and county council leaders are meeting to thrash out an action plan to secure funding for the project.

The Victorian-built rail station is at the hub of the country's rail network but its drab facilities have been slammed by economic chiefs over the years.

Members of a unique partnership are set to lobby the Government to help fund a complete transformation of the station.

They want to encourage rail travel by turning it into an attractive gateway to the North West with modern facilities for passengers.

Mrs Dunwoody, who chairs the powerful House of Commons Transport Committee, will join borough council leader Peter Kent and Cllr Steve Hogben, portfolio holder for the local economy, for talks called by Cheshire County Council transport co-ordinators.

The meeting on Friday comes as an increasing number of businesses and organisations in South Cheshire give their backing to a renovation scheme which would transform the station into a glittering state-of-the-art communications link.

With a broad partnership now emerging which includes Virgin Trains, the North West Development Agency, Network Rail and MMU Cheshire, leaders of the borough and county councils are keen to ensure that lobbying for Government funding on different fronts is well co-ordinated and cohesive.

Cllr Kent said: 'What we now need to do is come up with ways of persuading people in the relevant positions that revamping Crewe Station should be a matter of priority.

'To do that we need to get support from the opinion formers as well as the decision makers.

'The purpose of the meeting this week is to draw together all the various ways we can approach this.

'We are under no illusions that it could take some time, possibly even five or six years, to get this off the ground, but we are determined that it will happen. We want it, the local rail authorities want it, the people of Crewe want it.'

Exclusive plans unveiled by the Chron -icle in May depict the station with a stylish glass frontage, improved parking and access.

Upgraded concourse facilities and platforms would offer passengers a speedier ticket service, clearer directions and modern shopping outlets.

Mrs Dunwoody stepped up the campaign after spending time visiting state-of-the-art railway systems in Korea and Japan last month.

She said she was keen to see the British rail network take steps to follow their immaculate example.