Funding from Warwickshire County Council to deliver the multi-million pound Stratford Parkway Station and additional package of transport improvements for the town has been approved by councillors.
The county council has today endorsed the award of the final £1.868m required to deliver the project.
The scheme has already been awarded £4.995m from the Department of Transport, through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
The Stratford-upon-Avon Local Sustainable Transport Project includes the new Parkway station at Bishopton, vastly improved train services, enhancements to the Park and Ride bus services, smarter choices measures, electric vehicle charging points and a ‘Boris Bikes’ cycle hire scheme.
The county council spearheaded a team, which included London Midland, Centro and Network Rail, which secured the initial Government funding for the £8.86m scheme.
Cllr Peter Butlin, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways and Transport, said:
“This is further good news for Stratford. The agreement by council to allocate this money will keep us on track to deliver the project by December 2013.
“The scheme is great for both existing and new rail passengers in Stratford and surrounding areas and will help to put the town back on the railway map.
“The project will deliver economic growth in a low carbon way. It is anticipated that there will be 140,000 trips from the new station from the opening year and it will have a wider impact through sustainable transport elements, particularly with extended hours for the park and ride bus service and good cycling facilities.”
The scheme has the support of rail users, potential passengers, both Stratford District Council and Stratford Town Council, Sustrans, the Shakespeare Line Promotion Group and Rail Future.
It is forecast that the project will attract 114,000 new rail trips to the new station and the existing town station by 2024/2025.
The extra revenue generated will help fund more trains during weekdays, on Saturdays and provide a regular evening service to both Stratford stations.
It is hoped that new evening and weekend services will start in April 2012 and the weekday off-peak services will start when the station opens in December 2013.
