Well over 200 new or reopened stations have been added to the British rail network in the past 20 years.

But the stations – which improve people’s choice of transport as well as contributing to a better quality of life for everyone by reducing pollution from road transport – usually result from years of campaigning.

Often it is difficult for campaigners to argue their case effectively because the facts and figures are not available to them.

Even when local authorities become involved in trying to provide more stations, their officials find it difficult to gain access to financial data.

Now Railfuture has produced the 30-page report A New Station. What Might it Cost?

Editor Tony Smale draws on past experience to guide campaigners through the difficulties, which include escalating costs.  For instance Oxfordshire County Council estimated that a new station at Kidlington station could be built for £500,000 in 1993. The station is still not built but the latest estimate is £1.3million, taking account of increased safety measures, making it suitable for disabled people and other factors.

The guide gives detailed breakdowns of just what each component of the station is likely to cost. For instance, a basic platform could cost £18,000 while a one-metre-wide pedestrian path to the station would cost around £75 a metre. And having given advice about how to estimate costs, the guide also lists sources of funds – European Union grants, British Government grants, the Strategic Rail Authority, local authorities, non-governmental organisations, the National Lottery, the Railway Heritage Trust, private companies, Railtrack, train operating companies, Railfuture itself, and other sources.

The guide also deals with different conditions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as the emerging English regional authorities. It gives advice on factors like terrain, building materials, how to assess catchment areas, types of shelter and platforms, access, lighting and other specifications. The guide highlights several case studies, including Beauly near Inverness, Leeds, Warwick Parkway, Merseyside, the West Coast main line, the Swansea-Bridgend line, Ventnor and Filton Abbey Wood. It also points out that a new station can be a focus for both community and business development, with shops, cycle hire or leisure centres nearby.

The biggest hurdle to providing a station is usually the cost. There is no doubt it can be difficult to get a station opened but this guide should make the job easier.

A New Station. What Might It Cost? is available from Railfuture Sales, 113b Pembroke Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3EU. It costs £3.95 including postage. Make cheques payable to Railfuture.

Railfuture also produces the A to Z of Rail Reopenings by Alan Bevan. The 90-page book deals with 314 stations, that have been built since the 1950s. The book also sets out a programme for future line and station reopenings and summarises similar action in other European countries. It costs £7 including postage.