Council commissions rail feasibility study into Wantage and Grove Station
A feasibility study into a new railway station at Wantage and Grove is to be carried out this year.
Following a tendering process, Oxfordshire County Council has commissioned SLC Rail to put together the strategic outline business case for the project.
Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Development Strategy, said: “Oxfordshire County Council has long been an advocate of a proposed Wantage and Grove Station.
“This area has had a rapid increase in population in recent years and if we are going to be able to meet our ambitious targets set in our Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, rail improvements will be a key factor.
“Providing fast, regular and reliable transport options that serve our local communities and businesses across the region is essential for supporting the people, our economic centres and climate change objectives.”
The proposed new station would support the substantial growth in population that has taken place over recent years and provide residents with a high-quality and sustainable alternative means of travel.
Oxfordshire County Council is leading on the promotion of the station and will be working closely with Network Rail, Great Western Railways (GWR) and South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils to progress any plans.
Claire Mahoney, Network Rail's industry programme director, said: “We welcome the feasibility study into a proposed new station for Wantage and Grove.
“The industry strategy – the Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study, jointly commissioned by the county and city councils, Network Rail, and the Department for Transport – highlighted opportunities to expand Oxfordshire’s railway and help deliver economic growth to the region. This recommended a number of potential future improvements to support increasing interconnectivity across Oxfordshire, which could support the provision of new stations.”
A Wantage and Grove station was initially opened in 1846 but has seen no trains since 1964.
GWR's Business Development Portfolio Director Tom Pierpoint said: “We welcome the development of new stations across our network and are proud of our record working with partners to connect communities to the railway in recent years with new stations opening in Bristol, Devon and Reading.
“We look forward to engaging with the study, including on line capacity, rolling stock and crew requirements.”
Proposals for the new station will feature in Oxfordshire County Council’s emerging OxRail 2040: Plan for Rail strategy, which is expected to be adopted later this year.
If reopened, according to an independent opinion in 2018, it is estimated to become the fifth busiest station in Oxfordshire, attracting at least a million users a year.
There is also a strong economic case for the station, as it is estimated to generate £2.48 for every £1 invested.
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