A Somerset councillor has urged the government to support a new railway station on the Somerset-Dorset border in the face of other major infrastructure projects being reviewed or cancelled. Councillor Connor Payne, who represents the Chard South division on Somerset Council, has been spearheading a campaign to build a new railway station on the former Chard Junction station site near the village of Tatworth.
Since being elected in May 2022, Mr Payne has been raising money from local residents and businesses for an initial business case into the ‘Chard Parkway’ station plans, and secured a timetable study from Network Rail to see how feasible it is for services to call at the new station in either direction. The future of other rail projects across Somerset is currently uncertain, with the new government giving mixed signals regarding the £15m new station promised at Wellington and a lack of clarity remaining over plans to restore services to Somerton, Langport and the surrounding villages.
The former station lies on the mainline between London Waterloo and Exeter St. David’s, a short distance from the village of Tatworth and mere metres from the Dorset border. The station used to provide a direct link to Chard via a branch line, but this was also scaled back and closed in the mid-1960s, with Chard Central railway station being turned into retail outlets and much of the trackbed on to Ilminster now forming the Stop Line Way cycle route.
The line is currently served by South Western Railway (SWR), which runs hourly services between London Waterloo and Exeter St. David’s, stopping at the nearby stations of Crewkerne and Axminster. Mr Payne stated in his letter to Ms Haigh: “The case for reopening this station is clear, and the key challenge facing this project is funding.
“Local support for this project is widespread, and it has never been more in demand. I had the opportunity to speak with your predecessor, Mark Harper, about what Chard Parkway has to offer.
“I would appreciate, given a change of government, the opportunity to meet with you or a representative from the Department for Transport (DfT) to understand what you intend to do regarding the construction or reopening of stations across the county”
The Chard South division includes the Chard eastern development area (CEDA), which is expected to provide the majority of Chard’s new housing for the coming decades.
Plans for an additional 95 homes on the B3167 Perry Street in South Chard – within walking distance of the former station site – were approved by the Planning Inspectorate in March following a successful appeal by the Crossman Group. Mr Payne said: “My community depends on these projects, and the futures of so many people can only improve with investment in infrastructure like this.
“I am concerned that rural south west projects will not receive the funding that is required to improve infrastructure where it is most needed, and I would really appreciate confirmation about the DfT’s transport focus for the region, especially the more rural areas.” Mr Payne added that he had been looking into steps to bring the cost of delivering a new railway station down in order to reduce the financial commitment from central government.
He said: “Chard Parkway could cost between £15m and £60m; however, a key focus of my project planning has been looking at ways of mitigating high spending. For example, a local business has an interest in providing parking for a station – reducing that larger figure immediately.
“Both short- and long-term benefits outweigh any identified issues. The reopening of Chard Junction [as Chard Parkway] will provide an opportunity for thousands of people to travel for work, education, healthcare and tourism.
“I hope that your department and your government will focus on improving the lives on all of those in need of better infrastructure, by way of urgently looking into this project and supporting it.”
To join the fight for the new Chard Parkway railway station, search for ‘Chard Active Travel & Transport Group’ on Facebook or email Connor Payne directly at connor.payne@somerset.gov.uk.
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