Network Rail has unveiled plans to create a new £26 million railway station in Rochester, Kent.

The transport hub will be built on land in Corporation Street and the project is part of a wider £135 million investment programme in the county.

A formal planning application is set to be submitted to Medway Council later this year and, if approved, the station is expected to be in operation by the winter of 2015.

The new station will have three platforms and will be able to accommodate much longer trains (up to 12 carriages), which will allow rail companies to increase the capacity of their services if they wish.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail's route managing director for Kent, said the development will also help to kick-start the regeneration of the Riverside area in Rochester.

"The proposed new station will deliver a huge boost to Rochester and Medway. It will provide passengers with improved facilities and give better access to the town centre and surrounding area," she remarked.

Network Rail is expected to invest up to £37 billion into transport infrastructure across the UK by the end of of the decade.