Wantage and Grove Station

Other Background information.

Any argument for (re-)opening a station will be supported by the population increase in the immediate area.  There is a large amount of new development in the area. From the 2021 Census information the population of the Vale of White Horse increased by 14.8%, from around 121,000 in 2011 to 138,900 in 2021. This is one of the highest percentage increases in the country.

Figures for the OX12 postal area based on the sum of its parishes was produced by the Wantage & Grove Campaign Group in 2022 and show a population increase shown below. Furthermore the catchment area for the station would be larger than just the OX12 area and other towns and villages around are seeing new housing developments too.

2011 – 27,123
2019 -  29,307
2031 – 45,000 (estimated)

This population compares very favourably with the catchment areas for some of the existing stations elsewhere in Oxfordshire. There are 25 stations in Oxfordshire but only two (Appleford and Radley) are within the Vale of White Horse. Furthermore at least 15 of the stations serve smaller catchment areas, in some cases very much smaller, than that for a station at Grove.

There is support for re-opening a station at Grove. In the spring of 2021 the local MP, David Johnston OBE, organised a survey about the proposed station in Grove. There were 2620 responses of which 98% were in favour of a new station.