Delivering new railway station 'on the horizon'

Planned site of the New Somerton Railway Station seen from the Ricksey Lane Bridge

Delivering a new rural railway station remains "on the horizon" despite the immediate lack of funding, a council said.

Plans to deliver a new railway station to serve the growing towns of Somerton and Langport in Somerset were dealt a blow shortly after last year's general election.

Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves MP cancelled the 'Restoring Your Railway' fund in late July 2024. A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson said rail schemes were "prioritised on their ability to have the greatest impact".

Somerset councillor Henry Hobhouse has now called on the authority to double down on its efforts to build a new station.

The council has said it will be putting together further plans to make the case for a new station in the area.

This would include improving access to and integration with the existing network, the Local Democracy Service reports.

Langport and Somerton were both originally served by trains on the Taunton to Castle Cary line.

Their stations were closed in the mid-1960s during the infamous Beeching cuts, the Local Democracy Service reports.

Mr Hobhouse, who represents Castle Cary and the neighbouring villages, said stations were necessary.

He said: "The car park [at Castle Cary station] has doubled in size, the number of people going through the station has gone up significantly.

"It seems to me that we need to progress the new Langport station, or whatever you're going to call it, between Taunton and Castle Cary – that's a 30-mile stretch without any rail infrastructure."

'Years of silence'

Funding for a feasibility study into a new station to serve both communities was agreed in May 2021.

What followed was "two-and-a-half years of silence" from the then-Conservative government before the incoming Labour government cancelled the restoring your railway fund, the Local Democracy Service reports.

Matthew Prince, the council's transport policy officer, said the council would be putting together an integrated connectivity plan.

This would include steps to encourage more people to use the existing railway stations, as well as pushing the government to fund additional ones.

A DfT spokesperson said: "Our railways play a crucial role in growing the economy and improving travel for passengers, which is why we are investing over £10bn for rail improvements across England and Wales.

"Local authorities are best placed to advocate for projects that will most benefit their local areas.

"For proposals such as the Somerton and Langport stations, it is for the promoter to now submit a full business case for the government to consider in the usual way."