Railway expansion in Oxfordshire

6.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 7th Sep 2009

Liberal Democrats are tomorrow asking Council to welcome a report from the Association of Train Operating Companies to re-open branch lines and stations, including providing a new railway station at Grove/Wantage in Oxfordshire. The ATOC report, published in June, calls for the routes to be safeguarded, and for further detailed planning with Network Rail and local authorities to prioritise investment.

The Liberal Democrat motion to tomorrow's Council meeting asks for the County Council to work with these same organisations and to ensure that the next Local Transport Plan includes these proposals.

Cllr Zoe Patrick said, "The train companies have identified the social costs and benefits such as time-savings by rail and reduction in road accidents and have made an economic case for trains to return to a number of towns. Having a new station at Grove/Wantage would give more people the option of using public transport, thus reducing traffic congestion on the roads and improving access to jobs and leisure facilities with minimal consequent carbon emissions. I do hope that the County Council will work very hard indeed to bring this about."

Note: The ATOC report "Connecting Communities", published 15th June 2009, can be found on their website http://www.atoc.org