Ashby councillors have asked North West Leicestershire District Council for assurances that it continues to support the idea of the return of a railway station to the town.

Tonight's (Monday) meeting of the Ashby de la Zouch Town Council's planning committee reacted to a report that District Council is backing a new station at Coalville as part of town's regeneration programme.

That is likely to form part of a revived Ivanhoe Line which has not had passenger trains for almost 60 years.

Although the track remains, Ashby has not had a station since the infamous Beeching cuts of 1964.

But the Town Council is keen to make sure it is part of any plans to re-open a station in Coalville.

The line has only carried freight for decades since the closure. Photo: CRIL

Cllrs John Coxon and Dan Harrison have requested that the committee receive and note a news article regarding the possible return of train services and station to Coalville.

They are also seeking assurances from the District Council that it will continue to support the principle of a railway station in Ashby de la Zouch.

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The Campaign for the Reopening of the Ivanhoe Line stated recently that it is still pushing for passenger trains to run on the Burton to Leicester route once again.

A spokesman for CRIL said last month: "I was disappointed to read a statement that the Campaign is dead because it missed out on vital funding last year. Both of these statements are completely untrue!!

"A Strategic Outline Business Case was submitted to the Department for Transport last June as part of the Government's Restoring Your Railways Programme."