Oxford will lose out on vital new Rail services unless a new station is built, Railtrack has warned.

Last year, the company suggested to Oxford City Council that the station could move to land at Oxpens near the ice rink, where there is more room for development.

The city's planning committee has been told that if the station stays put, it would be unable to cope with the growth in services.

This would mean some trains would not be able to stop at Oxford.

Planning chairman John Goddard said: "If we don't move forward, we will end up with a station where a lot of trains do not stop.

"I think there's a great deal to be gained for the city in having a better station which can accommodate more trains in the Oxpens area.

"If a railway station moved down there, there's a chance to get what Oxford wants - and that's a better interchange between rail travel, bus travel and coach travel."

Train companies, particularly Virgin, are planning new services at higher speeds through Oxford linking the Midlands, London and the South.

Railtrack's land is behind Oxpens Road near the railway line. The city council also owns land there which could give access to the new station.

A feasibility study carried out for the county council has decided the move would be possible.

Cllr Goddard said the city council and Railtrack would need to sign a deal if Railtrack wanted to go ahead.

He said Oxpens was the only part of the city where land was available for such a development. This could also include leisure facilities.

He said other transports hubs, such as the Gloucester Green bus station, need not move to the new site, but better connections had to be found between trains, buses, coaches and taxis.

Cllr Goddard said plans were at an early stage and councillors agreed to note the report.