Warwickshire County Council is working to secure a £4m funding package following the awarding of a £5m Government grant towards the £9m project to construct a new park and ride station at Bishopton, a short distance from the present Stratford-upon-Avon town station.
The money has been made available via the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund and Centro, the local transport authority, has agreed to fund extra services along the line.
It is hoped that the new two platform station will open next April.
Parking space is severely limited at the town station and the new Stratford Parkway will have ample spaces for commuters, which it is hoped will encourage people out of their cars and onto the trains.
In a separate development Stratford may once again become a through route, the last through train having run in 1976, as a campaign to breach the missing 6 mile gap between Stratford and Long Marston gathers pace.
So far £50,000, of the £70,000 needed, has been raised towards funding the study into making a business case for the link, with First Great Western making a significant contribution towards the fund.
