A village train station is to get extra hourly train services to London and Oxford after passenger numbers rocketed by 30 per cent.

Radley station will have extra hourly off-peak trains stopping at the station after footfall spiked from 57,468 passengers in 2006/07 to 74,654 in 2008/09.

The service increase comes just a year after £1m of improvements were made at the station which doubled the number of cycling spaces and included a larger and resurfaced car park.

The renovation funded by Oxfordshire County Council, First Great Western and Network Rail also saw a new footbridge installed as well as new vandal-resistant waiting shelters and new signs on the platform.

The improved service has been welcomed by villagers and is expected to further increase passenger numbers at the station. Following the renovation, Radley Parish Council set up an independent group to maintain the appearance of the station.

Lynda Pasquire, treasurer of the Friends of Radley Station, said: “Most people would agree having a more frequent train service into Oxford is a great idea.

“It only takes about six minutes from Radley to Oxford by train but it takes about three quarters of an hour by car in rush hour in the morning.”

Mrs Pasquire, of Shaw Copse, said: “At Radley, the usage has gone up immensely, particularly since the station has been upgraded.

“A lot of people from Abingdon use the station and since First Great Western took over the franchise, they have been much more interested in the station and have worked to upgrade it.”

First Great Western took over the Thames Valley franchise from Thames Trains in 2004.

There are 23 services a day from Radley to London and 27 services a day from Radley to Oxford.

The new timetable is expected to double the number of off-peak services departing Radley to Oxford and London from one to two per hour.

Parish council chairman Jennie Standen said: “The station is very popular for passengers going to Oxford, Reading and London.

“The station serves a large part of north Abingdon and it can save a lot of difficulty for someone to use trains here and prevent the difficulty of going to Oxford or Didcot.”

FGW spokesman Ellie Banks said the firm believed improvements at the station had boosted passenger numbers. She said: “FGW supports the inclusion of additional stops at Radley and these have been included from the December 2009 timetable change.”

County council assistant transport planner Ed Webster said: "The council welcomes the news that Network Rail and First Great Western want more trains to stop at Radley. The reason for Oxfordshire County Council’s £300,000 investment at Radley station last year was to encourage more passengers to use it, which in turn would hopefully justify more trains to stop, so kick-starting a cycle of growth.”