Grove Station Back On Track?

At today's Cabinet meeting at the County Council, the Oxfordshire Rail Strategy was approved for stakeholder consultation.  This covers the period up to 2034 and if finally agreed will be included in the Council's updated Local Transport Plan 3 in spring 2012.

This report sets out how investment in rail will play a key role in Oxfordshire's economic development and how the opportunity will be for rail to establish itself as an alternative to the A34 supporting Science Vale UK, Oxford and Bicester.  In our area, where Science Vale UK is now of vital importance for business growth locally, it is recognised that the re-opening of the railway station at Grove will bring about increased access for rail passengers.

The report states that 'the time is right to look again at the potential for Grove and Wantage station.  The franchise renewal in 2013 may provide an opportunity to seek an appropriate train service - possibly releasing capacity on longer distance services by encouraging local travel between Swindon and Didcot to be made on 'local' services.  It is imporant to consider the station and train service in the context of a wider corridor approach between Bicester/Oxford and Swindon/Bristol. '  The report then goes on to state that 'The County Council will work in partnership with neighbouring local authorities and the rail industry to investigate the viability of a new station at Grove & Wantage, and an appropriate 'local' train service to serve the station.'

This is encouraging news for us locally as many of you will know that  I have campaigned for our local station to re-open for as long as I can remember and certainly supported the planning application when it was approved by the Vale of White Horse District Council.  Let us hope now that the rail industry will come forward with a franchise proposal to run a service locally, potentially linking up with Swindon and Didcot.   I mentioned this in a previous blog post when I attended the Transport Symposium in Oxford.