Isle of Wight railway £67m extension plans submitted

Isle of Wight Council is looking to link the existing Island Line to Newport

Plans for a railway extension on the Isle of Wight have been submitted to the Department for Transport.

Isle of Wight Council is seeking funding to see if it would be feasible to restore the link between the Island Line and Newport, via Blackwater.

The authority said it was identified as the most viable line because the track bed "remains very largely intact".

It has submitted an outline business case to the government to develop the £67m project.

If it gets approved by the government through its Restoring Your Railway programme, the next stage would see the authority prepare a more detailed business case for the project.

It previously received about £50,000 from the programme when looking into the most viable options for the scheme.

'Strong case'

Phil Jordan, cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, said reinstating the link was "vital to supporting the economic growth of our island and to help reduce carbon emissions".

He added: "It will provide a viable alternative to private car travel by improving journey times and connectivity.

"We've submitted a strong case and hope the project will be successful in moving to the next stage."

Bob Seely, MP for the Isle of Wight, said it was an "opportunity to bring about major change and regenerate our towns".

"It is a vision designed to unlock the Island's growth and development potential by using transport to connect people to businesses, jobs and education," he added.

Existing cycling and walking routes would be retained, the council said.

Future phases could also see an extension of the service between Ryde Pierhead and Ventnor.

A £26m project to overhaul the island's railway line is currently under way, which includes track and platform upgrades and the delivery of refurbished trains.