Transition Marlborough is seeking the support of the Town Council in its bold initiative for the restoration of Marlborough’s own railway station when plans to electrify the Bedwyn line go ahead.
The original Great Western Railway line to the town was launched in 1881, the passenger link subsequently shut in 1961 and, as part of the controversial Dr Beeching cuts, the goods services halted in 1964.
Now the group claims it is economically viable for the Department of Transport’s electrification proposals for the London Paddington line beyond Newbury to Bedwyn to take in Marlborough too.
Transition’s transport group has written to Claire Perry MP asking her to look into the possibility of restoring the line to Marlborough, the group’s former chairman Dr Sam Page has revealed.
“This would make Marlborough the terminus for the newly electrified service from Paddington,” she said. “We suggested that this would improve job and business opportunities for Marlborough’s residents and relieve the parking problem at Bedwyn.”
Mrs Perry replied that “improving transport links in our rural constituency is an issue that I consider absolutely key,” her response persuading the group to carry out its own preliminary economic analysis to assess the viability of restoring and electrifying the line to Marlborough.
And Dr Page adds: “The findings suggest that there is a case for further investigation, with indications of positive economic, social and environmental impacts.
“Although this may be a long term aspiration for our town, the proposition is being discussed by the Town Council’s Planning Committee tonight (Monday).
“The electrification of the Bedwyn to Paddington line, together with the development of the land opposite the Business Park, provides a window of opportunity that could make this a viable project.
“We hope that our study will be enough to convince the Department for Transport to conduct its own cost -benefit analysis and, if the outcome is positive, Marlborough would become the natural terminus for the new electrified train service.”
Transition Marlborough is to present its cost-benefit study to local Tory MP Claire Perry MP in the New Year.
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Council gives its blessing to Transition’s plan to re-open Marlborough’s station Transition Marlborugh’s bid to re-open Marlborough’s old railway station won the backing of the town council on Monday night. Councillor Noel Barrett-Morton said that it was indeed a window of opportunity and that having a station again was a long-held ambition for the council and the town. He said that Dr Sam Page should be congratulated – the actual preliminary study on the project was the work of Transition member Peter Ridal – and other councillors were equally positive. “I was very pleased that all the councillors showed their support for the project,” Transition’s chair, Shirley Pryor, who was present at the Planning Committee meeting, told Marlborough News Online. “With the development of a neighbourhood plan for the town, the council will have the opportunity to earmark land for a railway station.” |
