A Park and Ride, and even perhaps a railway station could be constructed to serve the New Eastern Villages on the edge of Swindon, councillors were told.

Swindon Borough Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for strategic infrastructure Gary Sumner was giving his annual report to members of the council’s scrutiny committee when chairman Coun Kevin Small asked about the possibility of a railway station being placed to serve the villages over the A419 from Swindon proper.

He asked: “Has there been enough land put aside for a double track railway station nearby?”

Coun Sumner said it was part of the consideration, although did suggest it wasn’t massively likely, of the transport provision for the expansion area.

He said: “There is a route study we are working with the England’s Economic Heartland development body on the A420 corridor.

“But people's railway usage has changed since the pandemic. It is significantly up at weekends, but there’s been a downturn of people commuting to work by train.

“There would have to be a significant business case to double the track.

“We have allocated a site for a Park & Ride in the NEV and there’ll be something in the Local Plan review looking at the whole terminus.”