Calls to improve rail service west of Poole on Weymouth-Waterloo line

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

From Dorset Echo:
https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/17983855.calls-improve-rail-service-west-poole-weymouth-waterloo-line/

Rail services west of Poole are likely to remain unchanged for some time  – Dorset Council has been told.

The cost of putting in two lines on the current single-track section between Moreton and Dorchester South, or improving the power supply west of Poole, is likely to remain prohibitive.

Dorset cabinet brief holder for transport Cllr Ray Bryan says that while the council is lobbying for structural improvements it is unlikely that all of the measures will be agreed because of the cost and that any decision was subject to a review not expected to even start until 2020.

He says the other issue which the council would like to see tackled is the so-called “Weymouth throat” – the narrow restriction on the track leading into the town’s station.

In response to a question about improving rail services to the area from Portland councillor Paul Kimber a full council meeting, Cllr Bryan also warned that whatever improvements were finally agreed by Network Rail they were likely to expect match funding.

Continues...

[bradshaw]

Further down the article

He also told councillors that the electrification of the Bristol to Weymouth line had been ruled out: “There are no further plans for electrification of the network after the government paused the programme due to cost overruns and delays, and on 8 November 2016 the government announced that several elements of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme would be indefinitely deferred.”   

[grahame]

From Dorset Echo:
https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/17983855.calls-improve-rail-service-west-poole-weymouth-waterloo-line/

Dorset cabinet brief holder for transport Cllr Ray Bryan says ...

Further down the article

He also told councillors that the electrification of the Bristol to Weymouth line had been ruled out: “There are no further plans for electrification of the network after the government paused the programme due to cost overruns and delays, and on 8 November 2016 the government announced that several elements of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme would be indefinitely deferred.”  

I do hope that Councillor Ray Bryan has been misquoted, quoted out of context or is mis-informed or out of date here.  This does not seem to add up when you look at current plans to reduce / get rid of diesel trains.   The councillor's comments might (perhaps) relate purely to Dorset - but I'm not so sure bearing in mind he's quoting the GW^▸ (Great Western) main line in what he says which (if my geography's right) wasn't planned to touch his county at all.