- 15 rail schemes awarded up to £50,000 to accelerate plans
that could restore lines and stations to communities, including
those closed during the Beeching cuts
- government investing £32 million to develop and construct new
stations in England and Wales
- part of wider £500 million Restoring Your Railway
Fund to develop proposals that level up transport links
across the country
Towns and villages across England, which were left isolated when
their railways were closed, are one step closer to having their
connections restored and transformed, as 15 projects are awarded
up to £50,000 each to progress plans to reinstate historic
stations and restore passenger services, as announced in the
Spending Review.
More than 50 years since the railways were radically reshaped,
including thousands of lines and stations closed during the
infamous Beeching cuts of the 1960s, this latest investment will
kick-start work on schemes that reconnect previously cut-off
communities, with the potential to reinvigorate local economies
and level up opportunity across the country.
Schemes awarded funding include:
- restoring Ferryhill station in Sedgefield, demolished
alongside Mainsforth Colliery in 1969
- returning services to Consett in the North East
- bringing back a station close to the medieval Beeston Castle
in Cheshire
- reinstating services for communities around Ashfield on the
Maid Marian Line
Transport Secretary said:
For towns and villages left isolated and forgotten by Beeching
cuts, restoring a rail line or a station has the potential to
revitalise a community. It breathes new life into our high
streets, drives investment in businesses and housing, and opens
new opportunities for work and education.
By building back with a real focus on better connections and
supporting left-behind communities, we’re delivering our
promise to level up this country.
These latest projects to receive a share of the second round of
the Restoring Your Railway ‘Ideas Fund’ will progress plans to
deliver new routes and improved connectivity, as well as
developing plans for new stations to areas poorly served by
public transport.
Entries have been specifically judged on their ability to deliver
real economic benefits and support left-behind communities, with
investment targeted at regenerating local economies by:
- supporting new house developments
- opening up access to jobs and education
- boosting tourism
Rail Minister
said:
From restoring historic stations at Ferryhill and Langport, to
reinstating passenger services on the Maid Marian Line and
transforming rail connections around Bolton, Bury and Consett,
our investment will provide the vital links that people depend
on.
Among the winning bids is a scheme to reinstate passenger
services from Bolton to Manchester through Radcliffe with a
radial Metrolink – running through some of the most economically
deprived parts of the UK.
A proposal for a Mid-Cornwall Metro has also been awarded
development funding which would create a coast to coast
through-service connecting the biggest towns in Cornwall –
Newquay, Par, St Austell, Truro, Penryn and Falmouth – reducing
journey times and easing road congestion.
Today’s news comes as the government provides £32 million of
funding to deliver 3new stations in England and Wales, including
Edginswell in Torquay, Thanet Parkway in Kent and St Clears in
Carmarthenshire, with additional funding being invested to
develop a further 2 in Haxby and Deeside.
The Beeching cuts saw tracks ripped up or grassed over, iconic
viaducts and bridges left without a purpose and communities set
adrift. Initially proposed by British Rail chief Dr Richard
Beeching in 1963, passenger services were ended on around a third
of the rail network, with more than 2,300 stations closed and up
to 5,000 miles of track axed across the UK.
Over the summer, proposals from MPs and local authorities for the
second round of the ‘Ideas Fund’ were considered by an expert
panel, including Rail Minister
and Network Rail Chair Sir Peter Hendy, after 51 bids were
received earlier this year.
A further 28 bids will receive further guidance to help develop
and refine their ideas for assessment in future funding rounds.
