PLANS for a new train station in Wellington are making ‘positive progress’, says Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow, following the latest meeting of the Devon and Somerset Metro Rail Group.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced in May that the Metro Group’s bid was one of ten projects nationally to be selected for the next phase of development.
Officials from the Department of Transport have been working with the rail group to develop the scheme with the aim that the project will be escalated quickly once the business case has been worked through.
The latest virtual meeting covered the next stages of the process, which involves submitting the strategic and economic case for the station – along with a similar station at Cullompton. That involves preferred station locations, demand and revenue projections and capital cost estimates.
Ms Pow, co-chairman of the Devon and Somerset Metro Rail Group, said: “We are making genuinely positive progress on our joint rail bid.
“It is interesting to note that even during the coronavirus pandemic rail use across this area has held up and forecasts for future demand from the two new stations look promising, in particular the opportunity a station at Wellington provides for students to access colleges right across the region from Taunton to Exeter, Bristol and Bath, as well as the opportunities for many other users.
“The stations will also play a major part in achieving climate change commitments and decarbonisation ambitions.
“I made securing a rail station for Wellington one of my commitments when I was first elected in 2015, and I have been working ever since with stakeholders and in conjunction with Neil Parish [MP for Tiverton and Honiton] to make this a reality.
“Today’s meeting was a good opportunity to take stock of the latest work and agree the next steps.
“I shall continue working on this project locally and at Government level, liaising with Transport ministers to keep the momentum going and would like to thank all those involved in helping us to get this far.”