NETWORK RAIL is assessing a new bridge which can be installed at Pershore’s railway station, allowing a new larger car park to be built on council land.
The move is the latest in the long-running saga over the bid to add extra capacity at the station which serves routes into London from Worcestershire.
Town MP Harriett Baldwin welcomed the move which has seen rail chiefs confirm the bridge could be installed across the tracks. Experts are currently carrying out an assessment and are expected to report back in the Spring.
The MP has backed Wychavon District Council, which is looking to build a new car park on its land across from the station, to allow more people to use Pershore train services.
As part of the improvements, the station revamp the current car parking to offer more disabled parking spaces and better access for people with mobility issues.
“With more people moving into Pershore, there will clearly be more demand for rail services, and we’ve got to do all we can as a Government to reduce the impact on the environment, by making it easier to use local public transport,” she said.
“The Worcestershire Parkway station will hopefully get the green light to open soon, but I have championed the growth plans for Pershore’s station to give local people the option of hopping onto a convenient train alternative rather than using the car.
“It has been a long battle to get Network Rail to prioritise this project and I hope that finding a bridge, and checking its feasibility, are important next steps towards a bigger, better Pershore station.
“In recent weeks, we have discussed the need to ensure that Pershore station is also ready for the dualling plans that are being developed so I hope that soon we can have a new bridge and a new platform,” she added.
