MIDDLEWICH mayor Dave Sutton is calling for the town's station to be re-opened as soon as possible.

A campaign to re-open the station, on Holmes Chapel Road, has been in operation since 1992 but Clr Sutton says that now is the crucial time for people to back the station and really show how important it is.

People within a mile of the station have been canvassed and it was revealed that if the station were to be re-opened they would readily use it, particularly if car parking space was also provided.

The station could also provide a vital link on the Cheshire tourist trail.

As a direct result of the Roman Middlewich Project the town could now prove to be a tourist attraction for anyone visiting Chester.

Clr Sutton said: "There is potential for a direct link to Chester and if we can get the station open we could drag people in from Chester.

"We need to speak to First North Western and Railtrack and show them that there is potential for them to make money if the station is opened."

The town council is working closely with the Mid Cheshire Rail Users Association, Middlewich and West Cheshire Committee in order to represent the best interests of rail users in the area.

Dave Roberts, chairman of the committee said: "The county council has a policy that any town with a population over 10,000 should have a station. Middlewich is now the only town in the county to have the population and no station.

"Railtrack are responsible for the re-opening and rebuilding of the station but it is down to the county council to provide funding and they will probably try to get money from the Strategic Rail Authority.

He added: "As far as we're concerned it is now a matter of when, not if, the station is re-opened."