It HAS been talked about for as long as anyone in this city can remember.

Oxford desperately needs a new railway station.

The cramped concourse and packed conditions on a busy day are familiar to any passenger.

The station is a gateway for thousands of people every year, but – to be blunt – looks worn out.

So, it is no wonder cries for a new station are raised every now and again.

Work is being carried out to improve facilities, but – as suggested in today’s story – it is really a sticking plaster job.

However, if plans to sell off a key eight-acre site at Oxpens were to go ahead, that would sink the possibility of a new development once and for all.

After all, where else would a new city centre station go?

The British Railway Board is eager to offload the site and it is, indeed, a prime location for developers.

But we would support today’s call for the Government to help put the idea on ice.

In the current economic climate there seems little chance of getting a new railway station.

That could change. Oxford needs a new station. The question we have to ask is Oxpens the last chance for that?

Until we know the answer, perhaps it would be prudent to keep our options open.