The Great Western Society wants to take over seven acres of disused sidings as part of a £2.5m project to attract more visitors.

The society announced a programme of 21 proposed improvements - to mark the 21st century - for the 16-acre steam locomotive museum at Didcot Rail Centre.

It will be up to the society's 4,500 membership worldwide to decide whether to go ahead with the plans - including rebuilding the former Heyford railway station - and how to raise the cash.

Centre manager Mick Dean said: "We will stagnate as a major tourist attraction if we don't develop the centre." And GWS marketing executive Jeanette Howse said: "Visitors who have been to the centre before are always expecting new attractions. We have to constantly think of improving the facilities and are planning a new visitors' entrance centre with a book and souvenir shop."

Didcot Rail Centre is Oxfordshire's third most popular tourist attraction after Blenheim Palace and Cotswold Wildlife Park at Burford, drawing about 100,000 visitors a year.

The society is fearful of slipping any further down the tourist league against stiff competition from major attractions in the region like Legoland Windsor. A major handicap at Didcot has been difficult access for wheelchairs and prams which have to be manhandled up nearly 20 steep steps from the subway at Didcot Parkway Station.

Mr Dean said: "If we are able to acquire the extra land, we will be able to build a ramp for wheelchairs, which we will be obliged by law to provide by 2003."

Hush-hush negotiations to lease or buy the derelict sidings have gone on for some years. But Mrs Howse said they were now "more optimistic" that agreement will be reached with their privatised landlords Spacia, which is part of Railtrack.

Story date: Thursday 23 December

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