Wiltshire Council bid for funding Corsham station on track to success

The Wiltshire Council bid to the Department for Transport (DfT) for funding to develop a feasibility study for a new station in Corsham, as part of the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund, has been approved and is on track to progress to the next stage of the process.

The proposed new two-platform station would be situated on the Great Western Main Line, with potential train service links to London Paddington, Bristol, Swindon and Reading. It would help to reduce traffic volumes in Corsham and along the A4, and provide easy access to and from MOD Corsham, the largest employer in the town.

This bid was the joint effort of many local partners, with widespread support including local MP Michelle Donelan and six other MPs in the region, along with other stakeholders such as Corsham Town Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bath Spa University, Chippenham Town Council and MOD Corsham.

A Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) will now be produced, and is the first stage of the DfT's business case process. The SOBC will set out more details on the proposed project and the case for building a new station, and how the plans would fit strategically into local priorities and wider government transport ambitions.

Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said, "We are really pleased to welcome the award of development funding from the Department for Transport, providing us with potential access of up to £50,000 from the DfT towards developing a SOBC, and look forward to progressing the next step of the process.

"We will be working closely with Corsham Town Council, Great Western Railway, and others over the next few months, bringing together our Strategic Outline Business Case to submit for the next stage. Depending on the outcome of this we will then get an indication of whether the proposal will progress further. If successful, the Corsham project is currently anticipated to cost up to £15 million and would be delivered by 2029 or earlier, to fit in with other rail initiatives.

"The potential new station would give Corsham and the surrounding areas much improved connections to London and enable more people to travel by train to and from Corsham, making access to Bath, Bristol and Swindon much easier. Commuters and visitors to Corsham MOD site would also have the option to travel by train, further reducing traffic on local roads.

"We look forward to working with partners on the next steps of the Restoring Your Railway process and continue to have high hopes for the outcome of this project. We are also submitting our Strategic Outline Business Case for Devizes Gateway Station to the DfT today, Friday 29 October, another proposal that would greatly improve the rail connections in Wiltshire."