CAZ prompts call to reopen lost stations
An antiques dealer wants to turn back the clock to Victorian times when Bath had a whole network of railway stations.
Sean Dudden started calling for Twerton’s station to reopen in 2017, 100 years after it closed.
Now with Bath’s clean air zone charging polluting vehicles to enter and widespread recognition of the climate emergency he says the campaign is more relevant than ever, and Bathampton’s hub – lost in the Beeching cuts of the 1960s – should also be reinstated.
The 51-year-old was previously told Twerton-on-avon was not worth opening because the trains are too long, no one would use it and it was simply not viable.
But now he is confident that “common sense will prevail”, saying: “Now the Government and the council have brought in the clean air zone, they have to give us some solutions.
“There’s nothing sensible being done. Open Bathampton and Twerton station. Open Saltford station, open Box station, open Corsham station. Why haven’t all those been done?”
He added: “No one was interested five years ago. Now they are because they have to pay £9 [to drive a non-compliant van, taxi or private hire vehicle into the clean air zone]. It feels more relevant.”
The old Twerton station is only 700 metres from Oldfield Park, less than half the distance from Oldfield Park to Bath Spa, a fourminute ride on the Great Western main line to London.
Mr Dudden said that was precisely how the Victorians designed the network, and questioned why Bristol and London should have stations in close proximity, but not Bath.
“The land is clearly there. What’s lacking is the will to do anything sensible,” said the Twerton resident, who moved his antiques business out of Bath because of the clean air zone.
Bath and North East Somerset Council previously said the Bristol to Bath line is very busy and has very limited capacity, and significant timetabling difficulties for a new station in Twerton meant it was not viable.
But Mr Dudden said: “All the issues are solvable. The land is there, you don’t have to stop every single train. We’re only talking about timetabling two piddly little stations in the city.
“The Government would have been better not spending money on HS2 [the high speed rail line from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds that could cost £98billion] and focusing the money on re-establishing some of the stations scattered around the United Kingdom.
“It should have started at the grassroots, possibly put in the line from Radstock to Frome.
“For four or five million you could have a branch line to Westbury, Frome, Chippenham.”
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “While we welcome proposals to open new stations and improve services for passengers and communities in the Bath area, the reopening of Twerton station does not currently feature in any future plans.
“As with all proposals, a feasibility study would first need to be undertaken and the relevant funding approved before a final decision is made.”
A spokesperson for the West of England Combined Authority said it plans to transform travel by rail over the next 10 years. By 2025 it plans to reopen the Portishead line, upgrade the Henbury line, increase services on the Westbury line, improve various stations and create a new eastern entrance at Bristol Temple Meads.