A MULTI-MILLION pound upgrade to make a West Berkshire station disability friendly has been pushed back by two years.

In 2011 funds of £2.9m were approved to build a new footbridge, lifts, a new ticket office and a park-and-rail facility at Theale Station, with work to start on October 2013.

After carrying out development work however, Great Western Railway decided the build would be too expensive and shut the project down.

An olive branch was extended to the town's disabled population in 2013 when Theale was nominated for the Access for All programme.

But now the plans have been held up again following a review into the cost overruns of the nationwide project.

In a letter to Reading West MP Alok Sharma sent on March 6, Department of Transport Under Secretary Paul Maynard wrote: “Unfortunately, Theale was one of the 26 stations chosen to be deferred because the project was not as advanced as many of the other projects.

“I know this will be disappointing but I am afraid Theale is not in a unique position.

“However, I remain committed to delivering the Access for All programme in full and development work will continue at Theale to allow work to start on site as soon as possible after April 2019.

“The project is likely to be a new bridge and three lifts.

“As the design is still to be agreed, there is no firm cost for the project yet but it will probably be in the region of £3 – 4 million.”

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