A COUNCILLOR has urged the government to support a new railway station near Chard in the face of other major infrastructure projects being reviewed or cancelled.
Councillor Connor Payne, who represents the Chard South division on Somerset Council, has been spearheading a campaign to build a new railway station on the former Chard Junction site near the village of Tatworth.
Since being elected in May 2022, Mr Payne has been raising money from local residents and businesses for an initial business case into the ‘Chard Parkway’ station plans, and secured a timetable study from Network Rail to see how feasible it is for services to call at the new station in either direction.
The future of other rail projects across Somerset is currently uncertain, with the new government giving mixed signals regarding the £15m new station promised at Wellington and a lack of clarity remaining over plans to restore services to Somerton, Langport and the surrounding villages.
In the face of this uncertainty, Mr Payne has written to transport secretary Louise Haigh MP, urging her to commit funding to taking the Chard Parkway project forward in light of Chard being “severely lacking in modern infrastructure”.
Chard Junction railway station served the villages south of Chard for more than 100 years before it was closed in March 1966 as part of the Beeching cuts.
The former station lies on the mainline between London Waterloo and Exeter St David’s, a short distance from the village of Tatworth and mere metres from the Dorset border.
The station used to provide a direct link to Chard via a branch line, but this was also scaled back and closed in the mid-1960s, with Chard Central railway station being turned into retail outlets and much of the track bed on to Ilminster now forming the Stop Line Way cycle route.
The line is currently served by South Western Railway (SWR), which runs hourly services between London Waterloo and Exeter St David’s, stopping at the nearby stations of Crewkerne and Axminster.
Mr Payne stated in his letter to Ms Haigh: “The case for reopening this station is clear, and the key challenge facing this project is funding.
“Local support for this project is widespread, and it has never been more in demand.
“I had the opportunity to speak with your predecessor, Mark Harper, about what Chard Parkway has to offer.
“I would appreciate, given a change of government, the opportunity to meet with you or a representative from the Department for Transport (DfT) to understand what you intend to do regarding the construction or reopening of stations across the county.”
The Chard South division includes the Chard eastern development area (CEDA), which is expected to provide the majority of Chard’s new housing for the coming decades.
Plans for an additional 95 homes on the B3167 Perry Street in South Chard – within walking distance of the former station site – were approved by the Planning Inspectorate in March following a successful appeal by the Crossman Group.
Mr Payne said: “My community depends on these projects, and the futures of so many people can only improve with investment in infrastructure like this.
“I am concerned that rural south west projects will not receive the funding that is required to improve infrastructure where it is most needed, and I would really appreciate confirmation about the DfT’s transport focus for the region, especially the more rural areas.”
Mr Payne added that he had been looking into steps to bring the cost of delivering a new railway station down in order to reduce the financial commitment from central government.
He said: “Chard Parkway could cost between £15m and £60m; however, a key focus of my project planning has been looking at ways of mitigating high spending.
“For example, a local business has an interest in providing parking for a station – reducing that larger figure immediately. Both short- and long-term benefits outweigh any identified issues.
“The reopening of Chard Junction [as Chard Parkway] will provide an opportunity for thousands of people to travel for work, education, healthcare and tourism.
“I hope that your department and your government will focus on improving the lives on all of those in need of better infrastructure, by way of urgently looking into this project and supporting it.”
For more information or to get involved in the project, search for ‘Chard Active Travel & Transport Group’ on Facebook or email Connor Payne directly at connor.payne@somerset.gov.uk.
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