AMBITIOUS plans for the £20million redevelopment of Cheltenham Spa Station have taken a major step forward.
Transport chiefs yesterday decided to award more than £3million of funding to the improvement plan, which would see a massive revamp of the station.
Two new platforms would provide a terminus for trains to and from London Paddington and Wales, freeing up the existing platforms to reduce frustrating delays.
It is hoped the award of £3.3million by the county's Local Transport Board will help the project – the work of the Cheltenham Development Task Force – become a reality.
And as well as the new platforms, the station would also see passenger facilities updated to meet 21st century demands with new shops, new cycle options and a purpose-built taxi rank and bus interchange.
Parking at the transport hub would also be expanded with the possible creation of a main car park on stilts with enough spaces for 400 cars.
There would also be a new short stay car park constructed off Gloucester Road.
The money has been provided by the Department for Transport, which is also funding three other projects in the county.
Michael Ratcliffe, chief executive of Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is a major step forward and this would certainly be of major benefit both to Cheltenham and to Gloucestershire as a whole.
"We believe it is possible. The task force and the chamber have done a lot of work to get to where we are, but there is still a long way to go.
"It is an extremely exciting project and this is just the beginning of a long journey."
The task force will now have the challenge of finding the rest of the money to get the project off the ground.
The cash will hopefully come from investment from the likes of Network Rail and other rail franchisees.
Steve Jordan, leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, added: "This is great for Cheltenham and for the whole area."
Three other projects were also chosen by the Local Transport Board to receive funding.
Plans for a new bus lane on the A40 in Benhall, the creation of a bus corridor to the west of Cheltenham and a scheme to improve the Over Roundabout and Highnam Lodge near Gloucester were all given cash.
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