A SITE has been identified for Wellington’s proposed new railway station with slightly more than two years left until it is due to be built.

The £15 million station will be on a stretch of track running alongside the under-development Longforth Farm housing estate.

But the curvature of the line past the estate had previously made it problematic to identify how the station’s two platforms could be built.

Now, work commissioned by Network Rail has confirmed the precise positioning of the train station, which is due to be open by May, 2025.

Wellington councillors will visit the site later this month with the town’s MP Rebecca Pow, who chairs the Devon and Somerset Metro Board which has been working up twin plans for new stations in Wellington and Cullompton.

They will view the location on February 24 before a meeting in Taunton later that day of the board, which is putting together a final business case for the station to present to the Government by December for funding approval.

Railways Minister Huw Merriman has also agreed to visit the Wellington train station site with Ms Pow, who met him in Westminster to bring him up to speed on the project.

Ms Pow also briefed the minister on a planning application for a mixed development of housing and commercial premises which will include the station.

The application by West of England Developments was intended to be submitted to Somerset West and Taunton Council before Christmas but has been held up because of concerns about increased phosphates emissions causing damage to wildlife on the Somerset Levels.

Mr Pow said: “Continued close working with the Department for Transport is essential to ensure this much-needed infrastructure is delivered.

“I stressed the importance of keeping the plans on track and extended an invitation to the Rail Minister for a site visit to Wellington to see the proposed plans first hand, which I am delighted to say he was pleased to accept.”