Sir Alok Sharma, the Member of Parliament for Reading West, has welcomed the opening of Green Park Station in Reading. The new station, which formally opened to the public on Saturday 27 May, is the first to open in Reading for over a century.
Sir Alok first called for investment in Reading Green Park Station in a Parliamentary debate in 2014 and has continued to lobby for funding ever since. In 2017, the station was granted £2.3 million of government funding as part of the government’s £20 million New Stations Fund.
The new Green Park Station will be served by trains every half an hour which will run between Reading and Basingstoke and will benefit hundreds of employees working in Green Park Business Park. The route will also provide transport for football fans travelling to Reading FC’s Madejski Stadium.
Sir Alok Sharma welcomed the new station:
“Having first made the case for Green Park station in Parliament in May 2014 and lobbied government ministers over the years, I am delighted that the station has now finally opened thanks to millions of pounds government funding. The new station is good news for passengers, will increase connectivity and provide a strong boost to the local economy.”
GWR Business Development Director, Tom Pierpoint, said:
“New stations such as Reading Green Park are vital in bringing the railway closer to people as we all become more mindful to live and travel more sustainably.
“Reading Green Park is one of three GWR stations to open this year along with Marsh Barton in Exeter and Portway Park & Ride in Bristol and we are excited for the benefits thee stations will bring to local residents, businesses and leisure travellers in the areas they will serve.”
Alok Sharma, the Member of Parliament for Reading West, has welcomed government funding for Reading Green Park station.
Reading Green Park is one of five stations chosen by the Department for Transport to receive investment through the £20 million New Stations Fund. The station will receive £2.3 million towards the total project cost of £16.5 million and will be open by March 2020.
The new station will benefit many hundreds of employees working at Green Park Business Park and help reduce road congestion on football and rugby match days at the Madejski Stadium.
Alok has played a key role in lobbying for this funding for a number of years and continued to make a case to Ministers to ensure Green Park Station will be built in a reasonable timeframe.
Alok raised investment in Reading Green park station in a Parliamentary debate in May 2014 and in 2015 he invited the then Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin MP, to Reading to discuss the proposals for the new station. He has since continued to lobby subsequent Rail Ministers to ensure that the station comes online as soon as possible.
Alok Sharma said: “One of the many reasons businesses choose to invest in Reading are our excellent transport links to London, Heathrow and the rest of the country. And in recent years Reading has benefitted greatly from government investment in local road and rail infrastructure. Including at Reading station and we have rail electrification and the Crossrail line to Reading underway. And when it comes to improved transport links, many of the international businesses locating to Green Park in my constituency have regularly asked me when the Reading Green Park rail station will come online.”
Alok added: “I have personally lobbied the Department of Transport, and individual Rail and Transport Ministers over the years for this station. So I was delighted to receive a letter this month from the Rail Minister Paul Maynard, informing me that Reading Green Park will receive funding from the government’s New Stations Fund. This means that the new station will be benefitting passengers and opening up access to new rail journeys from 2020 at the latest.”
Rail Minister, Paul Maynard, said: “Our priority is to deliver improved journeys for rail passengers across the country, and we look forward to this station providing real benefits to the Reading area.”