Hopes remain high that a former railway station near Wantage will be re-opened, despite a recent decision to cut the number of trains using the line.

Thames Trains blamed a lack of customers and a shortage of drivers for its decision to cut some services between Oxford and Bristol from June.

The changes affect the line that passes through Wantage Road station, in Grove, which has been earmarked to re-open to handle a new timetable of commuter trains.

But Thames Trains said the cuts were not necessarily a blow to the Wantage Road station project.

Spokesman Jonathan Radley said: "Primarily the cuts are to late and early services. This wouldn't necessarily stop the trains that are running from calling at Wantage.

"Obviously we would have to be convinced of the commercial viability of serving a new station, but that would be part of the study that's carried out before putting a station there in the first place."

Thames Trains has had a franchise since 1998, in conjunction with First Great Western (FGW), to run trains between Oxford and Bristol via Didcot, Swindon, Chippenham and Bath. Thames Trains provides the rolling stock and FGW the drivers.

On average, ten services a day have been carrying fewer than 30 customers even though each train offers seating for more than 180.

The mayor of Wantage, Jenny Hannaby, said she was confident there would be sufficient customer demand for trains from Grove.

She said as many as 2,500 new homes could be built in the area over coming years.

"All the development that is coming to Wantage will generate more customers."

She said if people got reliable trains, they had more confidence in using the service.

The chairman of Grove Parish Council, Peter Hadcroft, who has been involved with the station project, also remained optimistic. He said: "Everybody agrees in principle that it should reopen. It is the funding that is the issue.

First Great Western director and general manager Elaine Holt has said the axed services between Oxford and Bristol could be restored if deemed profitable again.