Food kiosks at Flinders Street Station have been forced to close as part of the $100 million upgrade after serving commuters for decades.

The platform kiosks served their final potato cakes and coffees last Friday.

But the food shop on platform 1 will be allowed to remain because it has more space for passenger flow than the other platforms.

The contract initially expired at the end of last year, but Metro extended it to June 29 in line with the station upgrade timetable.

Hungry commuters began lamenting the kiosk closures on social media this week.

Melbourne Heritage Action (MHA) said the existing kiosks were only constructed in the 1990s, but kiosks had been there from the beginning. The current stores back onto the east central steps, whereas the original ones were on the west steps.

Heritage toilets and broken subway tiles are being repaired as part of the renewal. The facelift includes the replacement of the metal partition fencing with a glazed pedestrian screen.

“But on the platforms, the works will be all new things; the seats are being replaced by standard stainless steel City of Melbourne ones, the kiosks will go,” MHA said.

“So the platforms will be an odd mix of old and new and in-between.”

The heritage group supported the tile repairs, but said “It would be nice if the platforms could be treated in a holistic manner … rather than a mess of contradictory bits and pieces”.

There will still be vending machines and food outlets on the main station concourse.

New passenger information displays will also be installed through the station.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BP4N_A0hnuF/?hl=en&taken-at=3001729

A Public Transport Victoria (PTV) spokesperson said the station saw about 26 million trips annually.

“Flinders Street Station is the heart of Melbourne’s rail network and the busiest station in Victoria.

“The $100 million investment to repair and refresh the iconic Flinders Street Station includes creating more platform space for better passenger flow and comfort.”

The kiosk closures come after the station’s iconic photo booth was given a reprieve.

Alan Adler, 86, was in May given 10 days to move on to make way for new Myki gates after operating the booth for 46 years.

He was given an extra month on the lease before PTV CEO Jeroen Weimar phoned Mr Adler to assure him a new home for the booth would be found at Flinders Street Station.

“He [Mr Weimar] considered it iconic. He wants it to be there indefinitely as far as he’s concerned, so that’s very encouraging,” Mr Adler told The New Daily in May.

Mr Adler estimated at least one million people had used the machine in the 46 years he’s been operating it.