LONG-CHERISHED hopes of re-opening Porton railway station have finally hit the buffers - but there is a ray of light at the end of the tunnel.

The multi-million pound development of Porton Down and a world-leading new science park may yet have a rail link.

Plans are being considered to use Grateley station near Andover as the Porton Down stop with shuttle buses taking hundreds of workers to and from the Porton complex.

Hopes of getting Porton railway station re-opened after 40 years ran into problems when Network Rail said it would cost more than £6m and not be economically viable.

Although the station's re-opening remains a possibility in the Porton Down Master Plan, there is little chance of it ever happening.

In addition to the £6m cost, Network Rail said re-opening the station would affect timetables on the main line to London, and potentially affect services to other stations.

The Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory does not support the station's re-opening either, saying there is not sufficient or compelling grounds to pursue it.

A spokesman for Salisbury District Council said of the hundreds of staff who will re-locate to Porton Down, only between five and ten per cent would consider travelling by train to work if Porton station re-opened.

The spokesman added: "Re-opening the station would not be economically viable, but using Grateley station could be economic. It is relatively close to Porton and shuttle buses could link Porton Down with Grateley."

It is estimated around 1,200 workers will be employed at Porton Down, plus several hundred more when the science park is built.

Once built, the two huge complexes will have around 3,500 staff compared to the present 1,900 or so working at Porton Down.