A PLAN to build a £10m train station on the outskirts of Worcester is just one of a range of initiatives being considered to revolutionise the county's transport infrastructure.

The plan is mentioned in the draft Worcestershire Local Transport Plan 2 for 2006 to 2011, which concludes that good transport infrastructure and services are essential for a successful economy and society.

Proposals for the Worcester Parkway Station would involve developing a main-line station at the intersection of the Birmingham to Bristol and Worcester to London lines at Norton, to the south-east of the city.

The station would provide passengers with access to destinations north and south of Worcester, without having to change trains at Birmingham or Cheltenham.

The strategy's four main priorities are:

Tackling congestion.

Ensuring accessibility to facilities for communities.

n Improving road safety.

Improving air quality.

The Worcester News revealed this draft plan in December 2004, which also includes a new bridge over the River Severn, a northern by-pass and improvements to the A4440 Southern Link Road.

City leaders will vote tomorrow on whether to endorse the plan.

"The document sets out all the right things, but short on detail," said Stuart McNidder, the council's head of development services, in the report.

"A number of other initiatives, such as those related to tourism, of the attraction of the city centre, must be recognised in the plan where transport has some effect."

Below is a guide to the city's transport plans for 2011.

CYCLE LANES / PEDESTRIAN ROUTES

There are also plans to fund a new pedestrian and cycle crossing of the River Severn at Diglis Weir as well as investigate the possibility of a pedestrian and cycle crossing at Barbourne Brook.

Mike Cooper, a local volunteer for the charity Sustrans, which promotes the development of cycle and pedestrian routes around the country, welcomed it.

He said it would be the "missing link" in the city's cycle/footpath network.

"We are missing something to complete the route on the south side," he said.

"We'd be all for the south one, definitely."

Mr Cooper added that a crossing at Barbourne Brook would be "logical" because it would take cyclists across from Pitchcroft to the west of the city.

While older routes, such as the one between the A449 and A38 roundabout, are very narrow, Mr Cooper said newer routes like the one that runs from Sabrina Bridge alongside Pitchcroft to Barbourne are a great benefit.

He said that while cycle routes existed around Birmingham in the north and Tewksbury in the south, Worcester used to be a bit of a "backwater".

"But I'm pleased to say that a lot of things are starting to happen," he said.

There is already a route from Droitwich to Worcester, another alongside the Birmingham and Worcester Canal through Fernhill Heath and one linking Worcester Malvern and Ledbury.

NORTON PARKWAY

The idea of this station was mooted around 25 years ago, but was later abandoned.

In 1999 Virgin Rail started to show a keen interest in the idea. In 2001 the Strategic Rail Authority planned to pay the now defunct Railtrack £10m to build a four-platform station.

TOURISM

It is hoped that the completion of the High Street refurbishment between Pump Street and Elgar Statue will attract more tourists to the city.

The plan also includes the establishment of a new coach car park as part of the south eastern park-and-ride scheme and provisions for additional on street pick up/set down facilities for coaches visiting the city.

BUSES

The plan includes proposals to paint bus lanes along Newtown Road and traffic management improvements carried out.

And the city council also wants to create two further park-and-ride sites.

But Brian Hunt, chairman of Worcester City Forum for Older People, which often takes part in consultation on transport issues, was critical of the Newtown Road scheme.

He said that while the group was in favour of public transport, the idea of bus lanes on Newtown Road was "absolutely nonsense".

He said the roads in the city are not wide enough.

"Bus lanes work in Oxford because it has wider roads," said Mr Hunt.

He said even the bus lane that runs into the city along Barbourne Road, The Tything and Foregate Street is not perfect.

"If you get a lorry coming towards you then you have to move into the bus lane," he said.

However, he did support the idea of two further Park and Ride sites especially if the route were to go via the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

"It makes sense. People can leave their cars and go to the hospital freeing up the hospital's car park," he said.

HIGH STREET

The on-going £1.3m refurbishment of the High Street has been marred with delays from the discovery of medieval cellars to criticisms from businesses that trade is being effected.

There is a danger that the same will happen when the completion of the High Street refurbishment, from Pump Street to the Elgar Statue, begins.

Sandy Finnegan, manager of Lush Cosmetics, near the Elgar Statue, said there were concerns about the work but was sure regular customers would not be put off.

"Because of our location people have to make the effort to come down to us. Normally, people tend to turn off down Pump Street," she said