Rail link plea for club's stadium

Capacity at the stadium, a former gasworks, is 32,000

Coventry City fans are being urged to sign a petition calling for a railway station at the football club's new stadium, the Ricoh Arena.

Transport ministers have so far refused to sanction the project.

About £2m has been set aside to build a rail link on the Coventry to Nuneaton line at the Ricoh Arena to reduce traffic on neighbouring roads.

But the former Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has refused permission saying there would not be enough demand.

Councillors in the Holbrooks ward disagree, saying on average 20,000 people are attending matches so there is a need for the rail link.

Club supporters are asked to sign an online petition that will be forwarded to the Coventry City Council, the Passenger Transport Authority and Network Rail.

The petition can be found at www.labourincoventry.org.uk.

Capacity at the stadium, a former gasworks, is 32,000.