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Town council start campaign to improve station parking

A renewed campaign to tackle the ^chaotic^ parking provision at Pershore railway station has been spearheaded by the town council.
The council has claimed that long-standing plans to extend the current 20 space car park are still, after seven years, mired in a legal dispute between Network Rail and an adjoining landowner.
This in turn is jeopardising a potential land swap which would more than double the size of the existing car park, say the council.
In a new bid to break the deadlock, Pershore Town Council has now made a direct appeal to Network Rail^s chief executive, Iain Coucher.
Transport Minister Lord Adonis, together with local MPs Peter Luff and Sir Michael Spicer, First Great Western boss Mark Hopwood and Worcestershire County Council councillor Derek Prodger, have all been called on as well to intervene and help resolve the dispute.
Ann Dobbins, clerk at Pershore Town Council, said: ^So far, despite some exciting plans and offers of matched funding, all that has been achieved is an attractive set of railings and members are deeply frustrated by the lack of progress on what all parties consider to be a worthwhile scheme.
"The pressure on parking space is already deterring existing and potential users and it will be totally inadequate to cater for the future growth of rail travel.^
A spokesman for Network Rail said: ^We have not stopped our effort in trying to achieve an agreement with Carlton Smith Ltd on resolving a possible land encroachment on Network Rail land.^

Town's train station to get extra parking spaces

More car parking spaces are to be created at Pershore railway station to cater for growing passenger demand.

Nearly ^1 million is to be invested in creating about 200 extra spaces at Pershore and two other stations in a bid to meet passenger demand now that part of the Cotswold Line ^ which runs from Worcester to Oxford ^ has been redoubled.

Exact details of the improvements are yet to be finalised but Mark Hopwood, managing director of First Great Western, which operates Pershore station, said: ^This is great news for our customers and demonstrates our long-term commitment to the franchise.^

Patrick Hallgate, route managing director for Network Rail, said: ^As well as providing a safe, punctual and reliable train service we must give passengers a better journey experience. These car park expansion schemes will make a big difference for the community and businesses, who rely on the railway for thousands of journeys every day.^

The station improvements are part of the first phase of funding from a ^100 million scheme launched by Network Rail and the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC). The fund supports proposals that will deliver improvement while reducing the public subsidy for rail by generating a financial return.

The news has been welcomed by West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin who said: ^Regular commuters using Pershore station will know that this is a long-awaited improvement and I am pleased that the funding has been given the green light. I also hope that, as the new timetable beds in, commuters will see an improvement in the number of trains using the line. The dualling work which happened during the summer should reduce journey times and I hope that more trains will be introduced to the route.^