Worcestershire Parkway, in Norton, near Worcester, is the first station to open in the county for more than 100 years.

About 50 people waited on the platform of the £22m station to see the first train pull in on its way to London Paddington.

Among those to get on was Mike Bond, who only travelled as far as Evesham. He said: “I just wanted to be on the first train.”

Tom Pierpoint, GWR’s interim commercial development director, said: “We know this station has been a long-held ambition for the people of Worcestershire and we have been pleased to work alongside the county council and our rail industry partners to ensure the delivery of this impressive new facility.”

Councillor Ken Pollock, Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, said: “I’d like to thank all those involved in making this station, which has been talked about for more than 30 years, a reality.”

69 per cent of British workers agree the government prioritises cities over rural communities, according to a new survey released by Retail Financial Consulting Limited (RFCL), the ATM optimisation and web-based solutions provider for the banking and retail sector.

The survey, which was conducted by research company Censuswide, polled 2,000 British workers in February 2020. The research found that 71 per cent of respondents agree that rural areas have substantially worse broadband and transport connectivity than cities or built up areas, and 66 per cent believe that the government should increase infrastructure investment in rural areas.

This news arrives after cuts to high-street banks and the removal of ATMs have left over 100 rural areas in the UK with no options for cash withdrawal. The RFCL survey even found that almost one in every six respondent has had to travel more than one mile in search of a working ATM or cash machine.