Central government has refused to provide funding for a vital study which could reconnect the West Somerset Railway (WSR) to mainline rail services.
The WSR runs between Bishop’s Lydeard, a few miles outside Taunton, and Minehead via numerous small stations in west Somerset, including the coastal town of Watchet and the villages of Blue Anchor, Dunster and Williton.
There have been numerous attempts to reconnect the heritage services with mainline Great Western Railway (GWR) services at Taunton, including the trial of a connecting service between Taunton and Bishop’s Lydeard in the summer of 2019.
Retired Network Rail planner David Northey teased in late-July 2024 that a new business case was being put together to permanently reconnect the two stations, with around £6m being sought for various improvements.
Somerset Council and West Somerset Railway PLC jointly submitted this strategic outline business case (SOBC) to the Department for Transport (DfT) in November 2024.
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After civil servants visited Somerset in March and met with the Bishops Lydeard to Taunton rail working group, the DfT has confirmed that the council can develop a full business case for the restoration of services.
However, neither the government nor Network Rail has declined to provide the estimated £137,000 needed for this to be completed - and have given no guarantees that the service would be approved and implemented.
The outline business case was designed to support the WSR in its heritage capacity and "boost local transport choice", making it easier for people to access mainline rail services for both business and leisure.
Restoring the rail link was one of numerous commitments which the council made in its local transport plan - but the authority has no funding set aside in-house to complete the final business case.
Rachel Gilmour, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, said: "I am grateful to the DfT for visiting Somerset, and for confirming it has no objection to taking the business case forward.
"However, I do believe that the decision counts for little unless ministers find the money to back it.
"It is about time the government listened to its rural communities and gave them the transport links they so badly need.
"The lack of rural links blocks jobs, blocks young people from getting to college, and holds back the rural economy.
"As I said in parliament, growth is not conjured by debate. It is built by political will. I am asking ministers to show that political will here in Somerset, and to put money behind a project that my constituents have waited far too long for."
Further details about the WSR, including its various summer and seasonal services, can be found by visiting www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk.
Gideon Amos, the Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton and Wellington constituency, added: "If the government wants to show that it is serious about supporting rural communities, it must support efforts to improve public transport.
"Our local economy is held back if people are unable to access education and employment.
"I support Rachel's efforts to deliver this project for her constituents, and I am confident that through campaigning alongside the working group, this can be achieved."
