PLANS for a new Wellington Railway Station have suffered another setback with the expected opening now put back by a further six to nine months.

Town councillors have been told instead of an opening ceremony in the autumn of next year, it was now likely to be the spring, or even summer, of 2026.

Councillors were expecting construction work to start in the summer of this year for the station to be open by September, 2025.

The latest delay was reported to councillors by town clerk Dave Farrow following a meeting of a Metro group which has been overseeing the plans and which is chaired by local MP Rebecca Pow.

Mr Farrow said: “The planned opening date has now been put back until the spring/summer 2026.

“But all parties remain confident that it will happen.”

The news comes on the heels of an announcement by train operator CrossCountry that its services would not stop in Wellington, leaving only Great Western Railway trains to serve the town.

Councillors on Monday (April 8) will be asked to agree their role in the wider development of the railway station, which will be built close to the Longforth Farm housing estate with an access road running past the new Lidl supermarket.

Mr Farrow said the Metro group had been working with Network Rail, which was responsible for developing and submitting the plans.

He said it had now become apparent that Network Rai was focussed only on delivering a ‘functional railway station and nothing more’.

Earlier discussions with the company around the station being a focus for a mobility hub and the importance of it as a ‘gateway to Wellington’ had not come to fruition, leaving those important but not essential elements of the development ‘at risk’.

Mr Farrow said a planning application by West of England Developments for housing and business use on land surrounding the site which would enable the station to be built, including a ‘station square’ and public realm works, had consequently been amended.

He said the developer would construct the basic infrastructure, and councillors now needed to decide if they wanted to pick up the remainder of the work needed to make it a focal point for visitors to the station, providing a pleasant, welcoming environment, cycle storage facilities, and bad weather cover.

He said the square could also be used to site Wellington Monument’s former pyramidion, (the triangular shape at the top), which was replaced during restoration by the National Trust.

Mr Farrow said the council had an available budget of £22,500 rising to £30,000 next year which could be used for items such as benches, bins, and signs for the ‘station square’.

He said the new housing development would also have green spaces and play areas which would need future maintenance which councillors would need to decide whether or not to take on.

Mr Farrow said if councillors wanted to move forward with the idea they should form a three-strong working group to develop proposals.