Great Western Coffee Shop

The auction of rail land at three key sites in Somerset and South Gloucestershire for a total of ^1.4 million is the "great West train robbery" a transport campaigner claims.

David Redgewell, South West spokesman for the Campaign for Better Transport says the sites ^ Henbury station, Frome station goods yard, and land at Station Road, Patchway, should have been kept.  He said land at Frome and Patchway was key to expand parking when extra rolling stock becomes available, while campaigners have been pushing for a passenger service through Henbury.

The land was auctioned by the Department for Transport's subsidiary, British Railways Board with Henbury Station fetching ^750,000, the Patchway land ^375,000 and Frome ^255,000.  The Department for Transport said it consulted local authorities but none was interested, leading Mr Redgewell to call for an integrated transport authority to take over the responsibility.