THERE are few commuters who would argue with Coun Stephen Inman's description of Worcester's Foregate Street station.

"Grotty", "shabby" and "disgraceful" are three very accurate words which can be applied to what is, in effect, the gateway to the Faithful City.

It has had the odd lick of paint in recent years, a few baskets of plastic flowers - but that's about it.

Coun Inman is quite right to highlight the poor lighting and forbidding stairs that dominate Foregate Street and, yes, we do need to "get something new, attractive and appropriate for a bold city like Worcester".

The problem, of course, is that talk - no matter how laudable - is cheap. Major work on a key element of a city's infrastructure is, to put it mildly, expensive.

Who would pay? The station is owned by Network Rail, but managed by Central Trains. Would they be prepared to put their hands in their pockets?

Or would the burden fall on the long-suffering taxpayer?

Coun Inman made his comments as the city council discussed the county's Local Transport Plan 2006 to 2011 - a big part of which was the proposal for a £10m Worcester Parkway station.

Funding for this could be used to cover some improvements to what would remain the city's foremost train station.

As other developments around the city begin the long-awaited Worcester renaissance, isn't it about time the city had a station of which it could be proud?