Majority in favour of rail station plan
30 Sep 2008, Lincs Free Press

People in Deeping St Nicholas gave their overwhelming support to a campaign to open a railway station in the village.

Out of 64 households and almost 200 people surveyed so far 98 per cent said they supported plans by the Spalding and Peterborough Transport Forum to re-open a station at Littleworth, with 96 per cent in strong agreement.

More than three quarters of people said they would travel by train to work instead of using their cars if the station was built, with 73 per cent either in strong agreement and a further four per cent agreeing they would change their mode of transport.

The results were presented by forum chairman George Scott at the latest meeting at the South Holland District Council offices in Spalding.

He said: "This has shown that if you give people the choice of using the train they would take it. We have been surprised at just how many people work outside the area – a lot work in London.

"People have said to us they would ditch the second car and go by train."

Forum secretary Andrew Elsden said: "At the moment if you live in Deeping St Nicholas and you don't have a second car you exclude yourself from certain activities.

"If one person goes to work in the car and you don't have a second car you can't go to the shops and practically not to school – it's socially exclusive with not having public transport."

Mr Scott was also pleased to see that 66 per cent either strongly agreed or agreed that they would use the trains in off-peak hours, which is an important statistic to help persuade rail operators of the need for the station.

The results will be presented to residents in Deeping St Nicholas in Jubilee Hall on October 16 and it will also be shown to rail bosses in the coming months.

More results will be added in as the surveys continue to come back.