IF Michael Portillo does another series of Great British Railway Journeys, Lee and Chloe Bone plus their two young children, Olivia and Ruben, will be ready and waiting for him.

The family from Malvern has more than a passing interest in Malvern Link station and the line from Hereford to Worcester which passes through it – they live there.

In fact the trains stop right outside their house and, over the past year or so, Lee has got to know all the train drivers.

The young couple bought the Station House in 2016 – it is the only part of the original station buildings still standing. Chloe said the station buildings dated back to the mid 1800s and were similar to those at Great Malvern Station, but most of them were demolished as part of the Beeching cuts in the 1960s.

The house was given to the station master, who lived there until he died, and had been left empty until it was put on the market a couple of years ago.

Lee and Chloe went to see it and, although it hadn’t been renovated since the 1970s, she said Lee could immediately see its potential. He made an offer on it that day and secured the property.

Lee, aged 34, is a builder and has been involved in a number of award winning building projects in Malvern with his dad Steve.

Chloe said: “It went on the market in 2016. It was very tired on the outside and the last renovations had been in the 1970s. It had been empty for a couple of years.”

The couple, together with a four-week-old baby and a three-year-old toddler, moved in and Lee set about dividing the property into three separate units and completely renovating the middle section, which is currently their family home. He then moved on to one of the end sections.

The overall plan was to completely renovate the building and turn it into three separate holiday lets that could be booked individually or together if desired. The first of the holiday lets has now been completed and is called Platform Three.

Because it was one large property when Lee, Chloe and the children moved in, they basically lived in a building site for a year. Apart from the mess, they also had the disruption from trains passing right in front of their house from about 5.30am until about 11.30pm every weekday, as well as freight trains through the night.

Platform Three has been renovated to Lee’s exacting standards and has a five-star rating from the letting agency cottages.com. Although it offers the modern luxury of a top rated property, it also retains the typical features associated with a Victorian Malvern stone residence and, unsurprisingly, displays a hint of its railway heritage.

The tiling in the en suite bathrooms to the two bedrooms and on the walls of the hallway are in the London underground style using Metro tiles.

There are some other unusual – if not quirky – features including an engine mounted in an alcove. Chloe explained that the engine, not a railway engine I should add, used to belong to Lee’s grandad, who loved at Castlemorton.

When Lee used to visit, he was always fascinated with the stationary engine, so when his grandad passed away it was given to him.

Chloe said it was put into storage but when the holiday let was being renovated they realised it would have an empty alcove. “We got it out of storage and had it reconditioned. We wanted to have it displayed.”

And now it is there for all to see in the alcove above the door leading into the living area.

While Lee has handled the construction work, Chloe contributed her eye for the decoration and another quirky feature. The hall floor made of 2p pieces is down to her.

The upside-down property, with bedrooms on the ground floor and living space above, also has a new floating balcony enabling guests to get a good view of the trains, which pull up right outside, and passengers alighting and boarding.

Outside there is a reconditioned gas lamp, converted to electricity, in traditional Malvern style to light the way to the front door. Lee also restored the window coves and had to do the exterior pointing as well as constructing the upstairs and floating balcony.

“He just has not stopped for nearly two years,” said Chloe. “He has done most of it himself. He had some help with the pointing or he would still be doing it now. It has been hard living in it. We are only just getting on top of it now.”

She said the most difficult part was getting the right materials for the pointing which had to be the right mix so it would not disintegrate.

“It is really good fun living on a rail line. The passenger trains start at about 5.30am and there are freight trains going through the night. We feel them but we don’t hear them because the walls are so thick,” she said.

“The children love it here and give people a wave. We are used to it now and, when we started it we thought we would do the three holiday lets and move on but I think Lee would quite like to stay now. He knows all the train drivers.”

Lee said: “We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved during the restoration and have had lovely feedback from the community, many of whom have noticed the property for the first time. My dad has been involved with holiday letting for a number of years, and we saw the potential in the property to offer unique stays to holidaymakers.”

Sarah Betts, of cottages.com, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome this exciting new addition to our portfolio. We pride ourselves on offering truly unique stays, and Platform Three fits perfectly with this. Lee has worked tirelessly to bring the property back to its former glory, while including some contemporary new additions, which will help the property enjoy this new chapter in its life.”