Plans for Wellington train station to be led by Network Rail

Somerset West and Taunton Council has been collaborating with Mid Devon District Council on plans to reopen Wellington and Cullompton railway stations, which both closed during the infamous Beeching cuts of the mid-1960s.

The push to reopen both stations received a £5M boost in the government’s autumn budget in October 2021, meaning the proposals can move to the next stage of government assessment in the form of a detailed final business case.

Somerset’s councillors have now agreed that the remaining phases of the project (including the business case) will be led by Network Rail, with officers arguing this would bring “significant benefits” to the project.

The matter was briefly discussed at a meeting of the council’s executive committee in Taunton on Wednesday evening (March 16).

Sarah Povall, the council’s principal planning policy officer, said in her written report: “We have agreed with the Department for Transport (DfT) that Network Rail will lead on the project from this point onwards, with support from their alliance partner Great Western Railway.

“It is felt that this will bring significant benefits to the project. Network Rail has committed to working collaboratively with the promoters to ensure wider land use, access, master-planning and community issues can be looked at holistically.”

Councillor Janet Lloyd – whose Wellington East ward has seen substantial housing growth in recent years – said she was “pleased” the town council would still be involved in the new governance arrangements.

Wellington Town Council voted to provide £15,000 towards the new station project in its annual budget for 2022/23, on top of £20,000 already provided by the district council.

Council leader Federica Smith-Roberts said the new governance arrangements were “only a small element of our journey to get to the end result”.

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for planning policy and transport, added: “We’re grateful for the continued support of the town council. It’s a project that has immense potential to improve the economic well-being of the town.”