Wantage and Grove Station

These pages describe the attempts to re-open a station at Grove and indicate the issues that need to be resolved for that to happen.

A brief history of the station, along with the quadrupling of the track there and electrification is given here

There have been a number of attempts to re-open the station since it closed. Some of the earlier steps (pre 2010) are outlined here.

There are a number of issues to resolve before a station can be opened. Clearly cost is one. However, detailed matters such as the exact location of the station; its access and provision of car parking etc.; which train services may stop there and any further changes to the railway infrastructure (signalling etc.) have to be considered.

In 2018 A report commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council and The Vale of White Horse District Council into the re-opening of a station at Grove was published . Called “Wantage & Grove Station. Statement of Opinion” this gives a comprehensive review of the issues and costs involved and is summarised here.

Since that report Climate Change has become a major concern and there have been changes in travel patterns following the Covid pandemic. Planning at all levels of Government (From National to Local) are involved in re-opening a station and an overview the policies and plans etc. as they relate to a station at Grove are given here.

There is local support for re-opening a station at Grove. Our local MPs (Currently David Johnston OBE MP, previously Edward Vaizey MP) as well as local councillors such as Jenny Hannaby have actively pushed for this. Recent survey results along with population trends and the usage of other stations in Oxfordshire are provided here.

Railfuture (https://www.railfuture.org.uk/) campaigns for improvements to rail nationally. The re-opening of a station at Grove is one of their projects and is included in an “Oxford Metro” proposal (see: https://www.railfuture.org.uk/article1875-Oxford-Metro).

In 2022 a local campaign using social media was launched by Andrew Holding. See on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2357562591073746.

A brief list of references to Grove Station – studies, plans and in the media is given here