Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Glimmer of light at end of tunnel for old station
IT stands stranded in the middle of a town centre car park, a sinister-looking Victorian Gothic masterpiece designed by Isambard Kingdon Brunel which was once Cirencester Town railway station.
The two-storey station was at the end of a four-mile single track line linking the Cotswold town to the main line at Kemble on an eightminute passenger journey.
But along with 5,000 miles of track ripped up across the country, the line fell victim to the Beeching cuts and following closure in 1965 a part of the town’s transport history was laid to waste.
Hope, however, is on the horizon for a re-emergence of the link.
It is one of 13 former passenger lines in the South West which should be studied for feasibility, according to national group Campaign for Better Transport.
In a report sent to the Department for Transport, the group is urging councils and ministers to consider expanding the current rail network in a bid to cut carbon emission and improve links between communities.
Priority schemes include the rail projects under MetroWest: the Henbury Loop in Bristol, with three new stations at Henbury, Filton and Ashley Down, and the Portishead to Bristol line.
But there are also the 13 schemes which should be looked into, the campaign group says.
Andrew Allen, group research manager, said: “These are schemes we think could work where the route might still be clear and there is strong enough demand for them to operate.
“We see clear benefits from carrying out the studies.
“At a time we are seeing new housing development, we say it is key you have a good public transport system in place to avoid people having to buy cars and turning their backs on public transport.”
In Cirencester, the Cirencester Community Railway, set up two years ago, has raised £25,000 toward the rail project. It has laid out options for a route and proposed two new stations.
Member Richard Gunner said they now needed a study done ahead of any funding for work to take place.
He said: “People are currently having to drive to Kemble and park at an already full station to catch a train. We believe there is scope for a very light rail scheme taking people to Kemble and avoiding the use of cars.”
A very light rail scheme uses tram lines and is being trialled in Dudley under the watch of Warwick University.
The problem, however, funding.
Asked if Gloucestershire County Council is considering open the line under a future transport plan, a
lies in spokesman responded: “No, it isn’t.”. He added that no work had been carried out to reopen the line.
It is the same situation facing other lines listed for a feasibility by the Campaign for Better Transport.
A proposal by Transition Marlborough was unveiled five years ago for an electrified railway line between Marlborough and Bedwyn, linking passengers to Swindon.
A new station would be built at a town business park as part of the scheme.
Town Councillor Bryan Castle has said the scheme is unlikely, adding: “It is a good idea, but where will the money come from?”
A Wiltshire Council spokesman would not say if the scheme was being considered.
He said: “The Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership has commissioned a rail study, the results of which will we be available later this year. RAIL schemes the Campaign for Better Transport believes should be subject of feasibility studies Cirencester to Kemble Minehead to Taunton Exmouth to Budleigh Salterton to Sidmouth
Chard Junction to Chard Town to Taunton
Exeter to Bude
Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead
Exter to Newton Abbot Frome to Radstock Barnstaple to Ilfracombe Bedwyn to Marlborough Weymouth Quay tramway Barnstaple to Braunton Axminster to Lyme Regis
“This will help to set priorities for locally led development of rail schemes benefiting Swindon and Wiltshire.”
Another scheme is for a line from Chard to Taunton, a service which stopped as part of the closure of the Taunton to Yeovil line in 1964.
Leading the project to reopen the 14-mile line is the Chard Branch Line Society.
But, again, the county council has no plans to reopen such a scheme.
A Somerset County Council spokesman said: “The council is supportive of a proposal to open a new rail station at Chard Junction subject to the necessary demand and feasibility studies being undertaken and is happy to assist communities in commissioning such studies once funding has been secured.
“The council does not currently have sufficient available funding for a project of this scope however.”
Funding is a problem, the Campaign for Better Transport accepts.
Mr Allen said: “There are many costs involved with these schemes and we are fully aware of the pressures already incurred on local authorities.
“It is why we are asking the DfT to create a pot for money which can be used solely for reopening railway lines and stations. That can be used to study projects and carry out work.
Two years ago, Transport Minister Chris Grayling said he wanted to expand the rail network under a published strategy called Connecting People: a strategic vision for rail.
Last year he showed his support for the MetroWest scheme in Bristol, which still needs £31m in funding for the first phase between Portishead and Bristol.
Yesterday, a DfT spokesman said: “We are investing a record £48 billion in growing and modernising the rail network, as well as investing in delivering faster, more frequent and state-of-the-art trains.
“We have received a wide variety of proposals to enhance the railway from across the public and private sector, and are working with promoters to explore opportunities to reopen routes cut under Beeching.”