A NEW waiting room at Swindon station is now open.

Swindon Mayor Steve Wakefield opened the facility yesterday as part of First Great Western’s plans to make the station as welcoming as possible for visitors to the town.

Evocative images of the old Swindon railway works have been donated by English Heritage’s National Monuments Record Centre.

They will hang in the waiting room alongside a noticeboard donated by Swindon Cultural Partnership to promote the depth and breadth of local events.

The organisation is devoted to the development, support and promotion of all levels of culture in Wiltshire.

Mike Pringle, the director of Swindon Cultural Partnership, said: “For many people, the station is their first taste of Swindon.

“And it’s exciting to see the place develop alongside the regeneration of the rest of the town.

“Swindon led the world with its railways, and it seems only right that today our station reflects some of that excellence.”