Congratulations to the Wellington and Cullompton new station project for securing support for the next phase.
Somerset’s newest railway station will be “funded to delivery” after the government announced it was scrapping HS2. Prime minister Rishi Sunak announced at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on Wednesday (October 4) that the hugely over-budget rail project would not be continued beyond Birmingham, freeing up more than £36bn for other transport projects.
The Langport Transport Group is seeking an update from the Department of Transport on the progress of our new station project. We will let you all know as soon as we hear more news.
We are delighted that an article authored by Simon Taylor has appeared in the October 2023 edition of the Railwatch Magazine. Railwatch is a magazine published by Railfuture that campaigns for a bigger and better railway.
The text of the article…..
‘Railfuture-affiliated Langport Transport Group has been working hard with partners, including Somerset county council and the new unitary authority, to make the case for a reopened station on the London Paddington to Penzance main line. The group, whose secretary is Railfuture life member Simon Taylor, was awarded £50,000 by the Department for Transport under the Restoring Your Railway fund. Along with support from other local councils, this allowed specialist transport consultancy WSP to be commissioned to undertake a study and produce an outline strategic business case. This business case was submitted in March 2022, along with all other national bids, and is awaiting a decision. Enquiries about progress to the DfT are met with news of further delays. More about the business case which has been described as compelling, can be found at LTG’s website. The study anticipates around 230,000 rail journeys a year being made from a new station. About two thirds of those would be by “new to rail” passengers. The economic, social, financial, management and environmental cases stack up strongly for this catchment area in southern Somerset. It has a population of 50,000 and straddles the longest stretch of operational railway in southern England of over 27 miles with no station’.
29th April 2023. Somerset Live. Report by Danial Mumby. ‘Proposed new Somerset railway station faces further delay. The project would improve transport links across the county‘
Somerset residents face a longer wait to find out whether rail services will return to two towns in the heart of the Levels. Read more here.
13th July 2022. ‘Fate of new railway station plans for Somerton and Langport will be known before Christmas’. Article By Daniel Mumby – Local Democracy Reporter. Glastonbury Nub News
A decision will be taken on whether plans for new railway stations at Somerton and Langport will be taken forward before the end of the year. Read more here.
11th February 2022. The Strategic Outline Case has been submitted!
After nearly 10 months work alongside all of our partners, our Chair submitted the Strategic Outline Case to the Department for Transport today. It is over 200 pages of analysis pulled together by one of the UK’s foremost consultancies – WSP. A huge ‘thank you’ from the Langport Transport Group to all our stakeholders and communities who contributed to the SOC. You can read a precis of the SOC on the ‘Our Proposal’ page of this website.
4th July 2021. Leveller Live Andrew Lee Reports….. ‘Langport/Somerton Station‘
[Langport Transport Group Stakeholders meet at one of the proposed sites – an informative article from Andrew Lee of the Leveller]. The money has now been raised for a feasibility review of a station in the Langport and Somerton area. Initially back in 2012 the initiative was led by Transition Langport. The mantle has since been taken on by the Langport Transport Group led by Phil Edge. Read more here.
27th May 2021. BBC News. ‘Somerset: Plans for new railway station on Levels‘
Plans for a new railway station have moved forward after councillors agreed to help fund a feasibility study. The stations at Somerton and Langport on the Somerset Levels were closed in the Beeching cuts during the 1960s. Chancellor Rishi Sunak mentioned the towns in his 2020 spending review and said the government could contribute up to £50,000 towards the study.
South Somerset District Council has since pledged a further £6,000.
In a report to the council, locality officer Adrian Moore, said: “This proposal is to seek our support for the reinstatement of a railway station to serve the towns of Langport and Somerton on the existing dual-track Great Western Line between London Paddington and the South West.” Read more here.
8th December 2020. Transition Langport ‘Restoring Your Railway‘
Langport Transport Group (LTG) was delighted to hear recently that its application for funding to the Department for Transport under the Restoring Your Railway Fund was successful. See more here.
27th November 2020. Somerset Live. Report by Jack Colwill. ‘MP says it is ‘full steam ahead’ for new Somerset train station plans after funding approval‘
Plans to provide a new train station to a currently under-served area of Somerset have taken a step forward after funding was granted for a feasibility study.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced during the 2020 Spending Review that £50,000 had been earmarked for assessing the possibility of a new station in the area of Somerton and Langport. Read more here.
Langport Transport Group 