Banbury is set to benefit from a brand new multi-storey car park, creating an extra 707 spaces at the station, which is managed by Chiltern Railways. The new car park, which is due to be opened in November 2013, will help to accommodate present and future rail passengers from the region.

Chiltern Railways has experienced huge growth in the number of people travelling from the station – this year so far, the number of people travelling from Banbury has increased by 14%.

The expansion has been financed thanks to £10,461,000 of funding from Network Rail, the Department for Transport and the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC).

Graham Cross, Business Development Director at Chiltern Railways said: “As the station grows in popularity, we are committed to providing our customers with the best travel experience and finding a long-term car park solution is a key part of this. The car park, which will be built at the east side of the station and accessible by a link bridge, will not only mean more space for passengers but also encourage more people to travel by train.”

Robin Gisby, managing director, network operations at Network Rail, added: “This is a great example of the rail industry working together to improve the passenger experience without increasing the burden on the taxpayer. We have now allocated almost £100m towards projects which will improve passengers’ experience of travelling by rail and help us deliver a better value for money railway.”