What will new rail investment mean for Somerset
The headlines from Rishi Sunak’s speech are starting to trickle down into government departmental announcements.
We now know that the South west will get one of the smaller allocations of funds. Just £6.5bn has been allocated compared with the near £20bn offered to the north west.
There is of course little detail at this point. However Wellington station is to be fully funded with rail links to Cullumpton thrown in.
There’s no news on a new station for Langport/Somerton though. Which does not necessarily mean it won’t happen, but the outlook remains uncertain.
There’s better news on the bus front though. Funds will allow the £2 fare scheme to continue fully funded until December 2024.
However at least 1 billion of the new money is being set aside for more new roads. That’s a decision that will divide opinion. All we can comment, is that as a policy it is inconsistent with recognising s climate emergency.
It would be good if the East Somerset Railway and Torr Quarry Rail Network
Could be supported, giving another railway station,in Midsomerset
Whilst many would support a station in Somerton, GWR are not going to stop their express trains, so it will need local trains and a change at Castle Cary or Westbury (as in the pre Beeching days). Any station will be outside of Somerton and therefore people will drive. So may as well drive to Castle Cary!
It would be sensible to use some of the money released by HS2 cancellation to continue the electrification of the GWR to Temple Meads and on to (at least) Exeter or Plymouth.
It would make more sense to sort out once & for all the appalling A303 – its improvement would bring significant economic benefit to the whole of the South West