Further investment is needed so Binghams railway station can cope with a huge increase in passengers, it has been claimed.
The number of people using Bingham station has risen by more than 10,000 according to latest figures published by the Office Of Rail Regulation.
A total of 51,778 passengers boarded or alighted at the station between April 2014 and March 2015 compared with 39,786 from April 2013 to March 2014.
Binghams mayor Mrs Tracey Kerry said the towns infrastructure, public transport and parking were not adequate to cope with the increased demand.
Our parking is already at what I would describe as a critical stage, she said.
As Bingham is growing at a significant rate we need more support from our controlling authorities such as Rushcliffe Borough Council and Nottinghamshire County Council.
It is great to see new development and growth but at what cost?
Nine parking spaces are available at the station and many rail users park on Station Street.
'Urgent need of improvement'
Mrs Kerry said the increased strain on the towns facilities would have an impact on the viability of the town centre.
Here in Bingham we are lucky to still have a number of independent shops, a weekly Thursday market and a farmers market once a month. However, these will soon start to disappear unless the relevant agencies and authorities start to listen, she said.
The increased parking on Station Street is causing so many issues, not only for the residents but for businesses in that area.
The station is in urgent need of improvement.
Mrs Kerry said the council was talking to Network Rail and other agencies to push for improvements to access, the platforms, parking and other services at the station.
Mrs Kath Vallance, chairman of the councils carpark working group, said many people were being encouraged to catch the train to Nottingham since the towns direct bus service to the city was scrapped.
If this is the case then most of those now using the train could be Bingham residents who would be aware of parking problems in the town and most probably would walk, she said.
That said, it has long been thought that the current provision for station parking is inadequate.
Lack of disabled access
Mrs Vallance said an area had been earmarked for station parking as part of The Crown Estates plans for 1,050 homes north of the railway line but it was unclear where the money for that development would come from.
Another obvious problem with increased use of the train service is the lack of disabled access, she said.
Network Rail wants to add ramps to the station bridge, which has steps, but the plans are being held up as half of the funding for the £1.3m project is coming from Tesco.
The supermarket will not release the money until it starts work on its store on Chapel Lane, for which it has had planning permission for almost three years.
A spokesman for Network Rail said passenger numbers were increasing nationally and had doubled in the last 20 years.
He said the increase in passengers would not change its proposals for improvements to the bridge.
A spokesman for East Midlands Trains said: The increase in numbers at Bingham actually reflects the increase in passengers we have seen across many of our local routes, with a shift in people using public transport.
She said the increase in passengers at Bingham could be down to people choosing to take the train due to roadworks affecting the A46 and A52.
The spokesman said there was no space at the station to extend the carpark any further and no plans to bring in additional services.
'More people are using the train than the bus now'
Mrs Julie Walkden, of The Paddock, Bingham, said: I have lived in Bingham for 16 years and I have used the trains on and off.
I still use the car into Nottingham but if I think there is going to be a lot of traffic, especially before Christmas, I get the train and it avoids parking fees.
It is only a quarter-of-an-hour into town and I think more people are using the train than the bus now.
Mrs Walkden said she often caught the train to Grantham as a quick way of getting to the East Coast Mainline to travel to London.
Mat Marksman, 17, of Meadowsweet Hill, Bingham, said: I have family in Birmingham and Manchester so I use the train about once a month or once every couple of months.
I also use this line to go to Aslockton to see friends.
Mat said he still preferred to catch the bus to Nottingham because there was a stop just outside his home.
Im having driving lessons and I might start driving soon, he said.
But the train is quicker and it beats the traffic.
