Business Voice West Midlands has stepped up the pressure for action to spruce up 'shabby' Birmingham International Station.

It has written to the Department of Transport to ask it to intervene.

The latest move follows questions to Virgin Trains about what plans the operator has to do something about the problem.

The difficulty is that Virgin has responsibility for the station under the terms of its West Coast Mainline franchise, but Network Rail owns it.

Glyn Pitchford, BVWM business sector representative for the Birmingham and Black Country City Region, has stressed the need for "a bright and enhanced" complex.

He maintained: "Its shabby appearance and poor lighting on platforms is off-putting for passengers and harms the positive branding of the West Midlands for tourists, business travellers and inward investors."

And Mr Pitchford has now taken the matter to the National Networks Group at the Department for Transport.

In a letter to Mike Mitchell, director general, he urges that either a facelift be made a requirement when the franchise next comes up in 2012 or the matter taken out of the hands of Virgin entirely.

Requesting a meeting, Mr Pitchford states: "This station is not just for Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre - important though that is - it is effectively the international gateway to the West Midlands region. With business customers travelling from Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Warwickshire, its regional, national and international significance cannot be overestimated.

"Therefore, either a requirement should be included in the franchise from 2012 that this station needs improvement or alternative arrangements such as enabling the station to be operated independently needs to occur."

Amplifying on the letter, Mr Pitchford went on: "In contrast to the NEC's recent investment and the £50 million upgrade to the airport last year (with more to come), Birmingham International Station is an embarrassment.

"When opened in 1976 it was a regional showpiece, which recognised the cosmopolitan and international nature of the customers passing through it.

"It was the first major new station since the 1890s when Marylebone in London was built.

"With the exception of a few, relatively minor, enhancements, it has been untouched for nearly 35 years. Some claim that one part has only been painted once in that time.

"Yet the general response appears to be that 'there are many stations worse than this'.

"There needs to be a quantum leap in the appearance, facilities and services provided."