Campaigners are celebrating the announcement of a huge investment in Pershore’s train station, a development over 20 years in the making.

Wychavon District Council confirmed it would be investing £2 million in the station to build a new bridge and 300-space car park.

Julian Palfrey, publicity officer for the Cotswold Line Promotion Group and chair of Vale Public Transport Group, is among those who have campaigned for the project for over 20 years, during which time the number of trains serving the station has continued to grow while parking provision has not.

He said: "The news that this project has taken a giant step forward is excellent.

“Campaigners have been battling for over 20 years for a major extension to car parking at the station which is still limited to a minimal 20 spaces.

“In that time traffic has grown significantly and  the number of trains serving the station  has almost doubled so that Pershore is now served by an hourly service throughout the day.”

READ MORE: New bridge and car park to be built at Pershore Railway Station

He added: "Further development of the station and its true potential has however been hampered by the desperate lack of parking and this latest news after so many false dawns is very  welcome.

“Wychavon District Council, in particular, deserves special credit for its tireless efforts over so many years to bring the project to fruition."

Pershore’s MP Harriett Baldwin has also campaigned for the development, having previously expressed her frustration at the slow progress made by local rail companies.

READ MORE: Harriett Baldwin MP slams "extremely frustrating" delays to Pershore Railway Station car park expansion

The MP for West Worcestershire said: “I’ve been working with Wychavon, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and GWR for nearly a decade to secure their support for the plan to improve Pershore train station and improve parking capacity for local rail users.

“This is an important piece of the jigsaw to improve rail services along the North Cotswold Line and I am delighted that Wychavon District Council is now able to press on with the plan and thank them for their generous investment.”

The £1.5 million ‘flow footbridge’ will link the station to council-owned land at Dawes Way in Pinvin, which is to be made into a £1.5million car park with over 300 spaces.

Flow crossings are a recent innovation from Network Rail made from fibre-reinforced polymer, making them lighter and cheaper than steel bridges.

It is hoped that the bridge could be completed during summer 2023, once funding from other partners has been found to carry out the work, at which point work will begin on the car park.

Mrs Baldwin added: “The innovative bridge design will significantly reduce the costs of the project and it should be much more attractive than the second-hand bridge that was originally planned.

“The extra car parking will mean more people can use the station and will underpin the long-term viability of Pershore’s rail hub as we prepare for further dualling of this busy line. The existing parking can all be allocated to people with disabled badges.”