West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has offered her backing to plans to develop greatly increased parking capacity at a new-look Pershore train station. The new car park - which could offer an extra 200 spaces – will be built on land owned by Wychavon District Council adjacent to the station. It incorporates a new footbridge and will allow many more people to use the station, helping to make the case for more services and further investment in the line. The plans will keep disabled parking at the current car park but add significant extra capacity and improved facilities at the station. The new configuration will also include preparations for the doubling of the line towards Worcester. A second platform still stands at Pershore station could be used to enable double-running track through the station. Harriett met with Wychavon District Council leader Linda Robinson to discuss the plan last week (Friday 15 April) and offered her support as the council develops a business case. Harriett commented: “I have held a long-standing ambition to see a greatly enhanced station at Pershore and have been working both with the local authorities and rail operating companies to develop a plan. “I am delighted that Wychavon District Council has agreed to allocate its land across from the station to create a much larger car park which will attract many more rail users. “Pershore is growing and we must make more - not less - use of this important station and this can only be done by adding car park capacity. “Other stations along the Cotswold Line to London have benefited from improved parking capacity and it is high-time that we did the same in Pershore.” Wychavon District Council leader Linda Robinson added: “The Council is very excited about the opportunity to work with partners to develop improved parking facilities at Pershore station”. GWR managing director Mark Hopwood added: “The Great Western network is already seeing the biggest investment since Brunel, and our long term vision for the North Cotswolds will see newer trains, the potential for faster, more frequent services and importantly, given the growth the area has seen in recent years, more seats. “Providing better station facilities and improving car parking and public transport links are critical to allowing our passengers to take advantage of the improvements and we are pleased to be working with local partners to push forward improvements to Pershore station.”