DAVID Cameron has intervened in the campaign to dual the Cotswold Line train service from Worcestershire to London - asking that an "independent study" be done to work out the benefits.

The Prime Minister has written to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin to instruct him that an unbiased assessment needs to be done over the economic improvements.

Your Worcester News can reveal how Mr Cameron has contacted West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin to tell her about his move.

The intervention follows years of fierce lobbying for improvements to the Cotswold Line from all of Worcestershire's MPs.

The assessment is to be done at a time when work is already being carried out to identify the economic benefits of dualling Worcester's A4440 Carrington Bridge, which will be added to the file of evidence for Mr McLoughlin.

Mrs Baldwin, who is also the City Minister, said: "I'm grateful for the Prime Minister’s intervention on this matter.

"He also represents a rural constituency (Witney, in Oxfordshire) which depends on good road and train links and I know he consistently raises the matter of dualling the Cotswold Line in meetings with rail chiefs.

"Earlier in the year I called on businesses to speak up and say what a difference better transport links would make to their growth plans.

"It's clear this evidence will form a crucial part of the decision-making process for significant investment in our road and rail links."

The Conservative also said with the £22 million Worcestershire Parkway station at Norton securing planning permission last month, it makes upgrading the Cotswold Line more important than ever.

"With the green light for the Worcestershire Parkway station now given at County Hall, it could not be more important that we deliver more dualling of sections of the Cotswold Line into the plans for rail investment over the coming year," she said.

"We all understand this will be a costly project but the message is clear that it is much needed across the length of the line towards Oxford.

"Together with my colleagues I will keep up the pressure for investment in the Cotswold Line and call for faster, more frequent services for county rail commuters."

In November last year we revealed how the old Coalition Government pledged that dualling the track between Worcester and Oxford would happen, but not before 2019.

Network Rail has been working on a business plan for it.

The Government has since shelved parts of its five-year, £38.5 million train lines upgrade plan, including 'pausing' the electrification of the Midland mainline from London to Sheffield - and it has replaced Network Rail's boss.