THIS week of all weeks it may require a great leap of faith to believe it but rail travel could be in for a bright future.

People in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire could find it easier and more convenient to catch the train than to get in their cars in future.

The rail system in the area is set for a huge investment under innovative plans drawn up by the Rail Passengers Committee Western England and the Cotswold Line Promotion Group.

The CLPG and the official watchdog body for rail passengers in the west of England revealed ambitious plans to open up the rail network during a meeting in Hereford last week.

There has long been talk about reopening the Cheltenham to Stratford rail link by reinstating the track that runs through Broadway and Honeybourne and these latest plans combine this with other improvements to encourage more people out of their cars and on to trains.

Chairman of the Rail Passengers Committee Western England Christopher Irwin said: "It has always been very difficult to do cross-country journeys from the fringes of the western area.

"There has been a lot of commitment from Railtrack to improving the infrastructure in this area but people have criticised the company for not being innovative enough. We have to say what we want very clearly.

"I am amazed it is so difficult to get from Worcester to Birmingham, for example. The Cotswold line itself is mainly single track which causes great problems, particularly when Virgin and Great Western introduce their new trains in 2002 so there will be more traffic going down there."

In its report Western Advance, the Rail Passengers Committee sets out aspirations for the routes and services which new rail franchises should be required to provide and supports the opening of 52 new stations.

As a result of representations from passengers and consultation with user groups, local authorities and other parties, the RPC is also urging tougher regulation to make rail travel more affordable, increase station standards and promote better links between rail and other transport.

Among other proposals, the RPC wants line re-openings and new services to relieve and compete with the A46/A435 corridor in Warwickshire and Gloucestershire and encourage a shift from road to rail.

It wants to see modernisation of the Cotswold lines to allow a doubling of line capacity and a top speed of 125mph.

Other improvements in this area include:

l the re-opening of the Cheltenham to Stratford line;

l the re-doubling of long sections of line including Moreton to Chipping Campden and Pershore to Norton;

l the lengthening of station platforms to accommodate longer stock;

l Opening new stations at Bredon or Eckington.

This ties in with the exciting scheme being drawn up by the CLPG and Cotswold and Malverns Transport Partnership.

CLPG chairman Ian Baxter said the idea of a working plan was born two years ago after CLPG, the second largest rail group in the UK, carried out a survey of rail services in the area.

Now it is working to push the £100 million scheme up Railtrack's project rating list. It is currently at level two and must get to level four by producing more detailed plans before it can bid for funding.

As well as increasing the number of services between this region and London and Birmingham, CLPG hopes to double the track between Worcester and Evesham, which would involve creating a new "up" platform at Pershore.

As part of the re-creation of the Stratford to Cheltenham link, it wants a new section of track at Honeybourne to enable trains to reach Moreton more quickly. It also suggests getting rid of the token machine at Evesham station to avoid people having to wait outside while tokens are exchanged.

The reopening of the station at Chipping Campden is also on the cards and so far the CLPG has been to the Strategic Rail Authority to discuss the enhancements.

Mr Baxter said: "We have to be patient but determined. We can't expect the rail industry and Government to deliver it all tomorrow but we can expect, if we are determined, for things to happen."

He added: "We believe that the CLPG and the Cotswold and Malverns Transport Partnership have achieved a realistic scheme that we can now put forward for support from the Strategic Rail Authority and local authorities."