REFURBISHMENT work set to last for the next 16 months is underway at a borough tube station.

Hatton Cross is one of the newer stops on the Piccadilly Line and plays a key role in helping passengers reach the nearby Heathrow Airport.

When it opened in 1975 it was the terminus for the line until Heathrow Central (now called Heathrow Terminal 1,2,3) opened in 1977.

The refurbishment is intended to improve journeys for the three million annual users and includes a new public address system, travel indication boards and help points.

Structural changes will also see the interior of the station made brighter and more modern and there will be new seating installed too.

The majority of the work, which is due to finish in May 2010, will take place over a series of weekend closures for the station. Tube Lines which is responsible for the renovation says one weekend closure is equal to 14 night shifts so dramatically speeds up the process.

Mark Whalley, Project Manager at Tube Lines, said: "Although Hatton Cross is a relatively new station on the Underground, it has not been refurbished at all since its arrival in 1975.

"As a key travel connection for local businesses, industrial premises and people travelling to Heathrow the station needs to be as pleasant and passenger friendly as possible.

"Some of the design features that are associated with Hatton Cross, like the speedbirds, will be kept but the station will be updated extensively."