CARLISLE MP John Stevenson is backing a former city MP's proposal to name part of Carlisle railway station after the Queen.

Eric Martlew has proposed that an area by Carlisle railway station should be named Elizabeth Square in honour of Her Majesty the Queen.

John said: “There are many things that Eric and I perhaps don’t see eye to eye on – but we are both proud of Carlisle as a railway city, and it seems perfectly right to me that as upgrades are made on the station, we celebrate this by honouring our longest reigning monarch.

"At the moment it is proposed that the refurbished area around Platform 1 be named George Square – but I think Eric is right that naming it after Her Majesty will have much more resonance with the people of Carlisle, as well as those from across the country, and indeed the world, who will be travelling to and through this important station."

As part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, £20 million of funding has been allocated for the Carlisle Station Gateway project.

Cumbria County Council in joint partnership with Carlisle City Council, Network Rail, and Avanti West Coast have developed designs for the station, and a third consultation is now live.