Corsham Station reopening

[whole diary]

[John R]

when Filton Abbey Wood station was reopened or refurbished (I'm not sure if it ever did close, but it's certainly unrecognisable now from what it was 20 years ago

The original Filton station was closed in the mid 90s, and the new one built just to the south.  The original station only had platforms on the Patchway line, being slightly north of the junction, so by moving it south, it could also be served by trains heading towards Parkway. You can still see the platforms, though they are somewhat derelict after 20 years of disuse.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From This is Wiltshire:

Crucial meeting over re-opening Corsham railway station 'within a month'


This Is Wiltshire: Michelle Donelan, Ben Howlett, Professor Christina Slade and Devizes MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Claire Perry at Corsham

A crucial meeting between government officials and campaigners about the re-opening of Corsham railway station will take place within a month, says Devizes MP Claire Perry.

The new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport was at Corsham on Friday with the Conservative^s prospective parliamentary candidate for Chippenham, Michelle Donelan.

Mrs Perry said: ^What I^ve promised Michelle is to have a meeting in the next month in the department with officials and the people here today and really try and kick the tyres.^

^What we need is to get my department officials together with Network Rail and the campaigners here and I think a member from the train operating company and say, what do we need to know? What are the questions we haven^t answered? What needs to happen?^

The line between London and Bristol is being electrified over the next four years which should increase efficiency on the line and permit smaller stopping services in Wiltshire, including Corsham.

Mrs Perry stressed that any new station needed to be considered before the electrification process to prevent pylons inhibiting any future developments along the line.

She said: ^There^s lots of money going into this area and I have to say the case that has been put forward by Michelle and the others here today, the economic case, it^s not a political case, for re-opening Corsham station is really strong. There^s money to be spent on infrastructure at the moment which is, thank goodness, long overdue.^

Mrs Perry's predecessor Stephen Hammond had met campaigners in March.

As well as Miss Donelan, Ben Howlett, prospective parliamentary candidate for Bath, Wiltshire councillors for Corsham Dick Tonge and Phil Whalley and Bath Spa University vice-chancellor Professor Christina Slade were all present at the briefing.

Miss Donelan said: ^Corsham station is vital for the town, for the economy, for tourism, for education and all aspects of life. I have been surveying and everybody, over 90 per cent of people, support it and it^s something I am spearheading as a campaign to drive forward because now is the time that we can actually achieve it.^

[grahame]

The Chippenham Parliamentary Constituency was what I would have described as a marginal one at the last election, with Duncan Hames for the Liberal Democrats narrowly defeating Wilfred Emmanual-Jones Standing for the Conservatives.  However, while there was a major tussle for votes between them, on transport subject and policy with regards to the TransWilts (and I believe with regard to Corsham too) there wasn't much of a difference.   Since the election, when Duncan Hames won the seat, he has been hugely supportive of the TransWilts and I'm of the opinion that without his help, it's probably that there would still be just a token service on the line, and 130,000 individual journeys would be effected negatively this year.  But yet Duncan has had help in this from the government, which is a coalition with the major partner being the Conservatives.

Cross Party Support for appropriate train services in Wiltshire has helped us move things forward so well, and can do in the future, so I really welcome Michelle Donelan's strong support for the TransWilts and for the Corsham campaign.   However, I have a degree of concern that transport - a very important factor to many in Melksham (see the JSA - Joint Strategic Assessment) may be being turned into something of a political battle ground;  I'm slightly concerned to read "Mrs Perry said: ^What I^ve promised Michelle is to have a meeting in the next month in the department with officials and the people here today and really try and kick the tyres.^" when I can't help thinking that's probably being going on very much in the background anyway.   This would all be very much easier to understand if we had traditional government and opposition, but I'll confess to being slightly confused between how to handle a coalition together on one front and electioneering against each other on the other.   And whilst I'm very happy to have the support from all around - which we need - I'm also a little concerned that we not forget the hard and often unnoticed work that's been done by our current member, and also the government members of both coalition parties.  Forgetting that hard work and buying into bright promises would be a risky strategy, and I feel that personally, and also with the TransWilts CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) hat on, we need to remain risen above the political fight for the seat and look to the constituency as a whole.

[grahame]

From my mailbox

Saturday, January 03, 2015
Today, 50 years ago, the last train stopped at Corsham station on its journey from Swindon to Bristol. All the small stations enroute closed at the same time ^ January 4th 1965, with the date, but today with the actual happening."

Certainly, Peter Davis recalled that at that time passengers from Corsham had been petitioning for the provision of an extra carriage as the trains were so crowded.   When co-ordinating the original Travel Survey, Corsham residents at that time spoke of the shock and readjustments their families had to make, i.e. the purchase of a car and driving lessons.   Certainly Ian Nalder, Secretary of the RUCC^» (Rail Users Consultative Committee - about) (Rail Users Consultative Committee) informed me that Corsham was the one station for which that passenger body  insisted on an Inquiry into the closure, as it was seen to be so destructive to the lives of those living in the town."

[Lee]

Well, 50 years on I take the First Bus 231 Service every day from the outskirts of Bath to work in Chippenham via Corsham, and it is noticeable how the bus always seems to go from empty to nicely loaded as it picks up passengers on its way round Corsham.

Also very interesting to observe this morning a lady getting on at the stop adjacent to where a reopened Corsham station would be situated, asking for a single to Chippenham Railway Station, clutching rail tickets and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) timetable booklet in hand...

[NickF]

Gadzette and Herald:
http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/towns/corshamheadlines/12977109.Strong_signals_for_Corsham_railway_campaign/

[Phil]

This man (pictured) is a hero of mine. Nevertheless, I rather fear Ms. Donellan is riding for a fall if she's pinning her scones to the mast on this one. Unless significant amounts of money can be found, it's a non-starter.

[paul7575]

Is it wise to discuss 'TransWilts' and Corsham in the same article?   Or is there an acknowledged difference between the named organisation and the named route?

Paul

[grahame]

Is it wise to discuss 'TransWilts' and Corsham in the same article?   Or is there an acknowledged difference between the named organisation and the named route?

Paul

There's a planned and acknowledged difference, Paul - but that acknowledgement, the background to it, and what it means needs to be much, much more widely publicised and described.

Taking your prompt / comment as a triggers (and with this weekend dedicated to all manner of catching up on things that need doing), I'm writing up this description and will post separately and follow up here, further, with a link.

Excellent question - many thanks for the platform on which to answer it 

[grahame]

Is it wise to discuss 'TransWilts' and Corsham in the same article?   Or is there an acknowledged difference between the named organisation and the named route?

Excellent question - many thanks for the platform on which to answer it 

The core TransWilts Rail service runs from Swindon to Westbury, with two trips each way per day by trains running longer distance services, and a further six each way per day which have been running as a trial from December 2013 (to December 2016) run by a single coach train shuttling back and forth about every 2 hours.

The TransWilts Commununity Rail Partnership was set up to encourage passenger grown on this service, as a mechanism through with the community can work with the rail industry (most notable our train operator - First Great Western, but also others) and local authoriries (most notable Wilsthire Council, but also others)

Passenger numbers on the Swindon to Westbury trains (including passengers using the through longer distance servives) rose from 18,000 in 2012 to 183,400 in 2014 - far beyond the growth level that a volunteer team could easily administer with our initial structure.   And passengers are not making isolated journeys from one station to another - they're connecting onto other trains, and local buses and other transport on the local road, cycleway and footpath networks.  "Our" line isn't a branch to a town's terminus - it's all about network, and our trains are part of that network (the isolated digram for the trial service expected to become less isolated as the service is secured for the future).

The TransWilts Community Interest Company provides an encompassing framework for the TransWilts Community Rail Partnerhip - it allows us to pull in extra administration / resource and to look forward with a strategy for the future in addition to better looking after the tactics of immediate service promotion.  With the experience we already have in analysing and building cases up to a "shovel-ready" stage so that the stage is set for implementation when full funding opportunities become available, we can help with transport "to, from, within and through Wiltshire" - that's our scoping statement and it's exactly the same as the constitutional line drawn for the Community Rail Partnership.

[grahame]

This man (pictured) is a hero of mine. Nevertheless, I rather fear Ms. Donellan is riding for a fall if she's pinning her scones to the mast on this one. Unless significant amounts of money can be found, it's a non-starter.

At this point, initial survey and analysis has been speculatively undertaken by well experienced, effective people - to a very great extent the people who did the same early stage stuff for the TransWilts. Call this stage 1.

Stage 2 is a requirement for a deeper analysis and involves come cost and ownership to be taken, in order to support (financially and locally) the building up of the scheme to having it shovel-ready.    That's a movement on from talking to analysis and investment - looking perhaps to town councils, area boards, big employers, Section 106 and CIL - not initially to fund a build, but rather to get plans in place.

Stage 2 needs to be undertaken even before stage 3 is (totally) clear - until there's a fully planned scheme available, there's no clarity about what it will cost, whether it will work, unplanned issued that may rise.   But that backgrounds's all needed so that funding opportunities can be taken when they offer themselves - typically these are doors which open for short periods so it's no use waiting for a door to be open before completing stage 2.

Stations such as the new one opening in Devon next week have been through these stages - as indeed the current TransWilts service did (with a shovel-ready scheme) so that we were able to take advantage of significant funding from LSTF^▸ (Local Sustainable Transport Fund).  But there hasn't been a (re)opened station in Wiltshire for over 30 years, and it does need not only  "we want and will ask for and promote the need for a station" but also "we'll put a bit of money into planning the detail of it" which is where it now stands.

Ms Donelan has made an excellent ask for the "not only" ... now that she's been elected, she's in the right place to help oil the wheels behind the scenes and provide the "but also". We know it can be done in the area - it has been done over the past five years by our team and supporters.   We're there to support - but in does need the seeding truly locally.

[grahame]

I was reminded about the Corsham event by Duncan Hames' tweet (Duncan is the prospective Lib-Dem candidate for Chippenham / Melksham  / Corsham / Bradford-on-Avon ... and who should I run into at the meeting but Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, the Conservative candidate.



Support for this one is truely cross-party ... there were strong lib-dem and conservative supporters both manning the shop at the event.

An update on Wilfred, who didn't win in 2010.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3176309/The-Black-Farmer-stood-Parliament-vows-battle-cancer-causing-skin-lose-colour.html

From my personal pages ..

I have a great deal of time for Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, who stood as the Conservative candidate for Chippenham in 2010; along with other candidates, I got to know him quite well and we ended up that year with a contest in which we were going to get an excellent MP^▸ (Member of Parliament), whichever of the front-runner won.

I was shocked to pick up the story of his cancer battle in the paper this morning and wish him well. Wilfred is a fighter - and I wish him all the very best in his continuing fight, even if he has to change to calling himself "the white farmer". And I hope to see him, speak with him, listen to one of his charismatic talk again some day in the not too distant future.

[grahame]

http://www.connectingwiltshire.co.uk/news-events/corsham-railway-station-feasibility-study/

According to a new report there is a case for building a railway station in Corsham, but its viability would be reliant on securing a sustainable train service.

Last year, Wiltshire Council commissioned Atkins to carry out initial feasibility work on a possible station in the town. The main findings include:

   ^ There is an identified market for a rail station at Corsham particularly in relation to journeys to and from Bath and Bristol.
   ^ Forecasts indicate Corsham station could carry up to 400,000 passengers per year and that future development plans would be expected to further increase this number.
   ^ A railway station at Royal Wootton Bassett would generate up to a further 330,000 passengers per year.
   ^ Initial analysis indicates it could be viable to introduce a new hourly train service between Bristol and Swindon to serve a new Corsham Station, with possible extensions to Oxford or Cardiff. (Four possible service options have been tested: a new service from Bristol Temple Meads to Swindon; a new service from Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford; a new service from Cardiff Central to Swindon; and an extension of the MetroWest service from Bath Spa to Chippenham).
   ^ The main obstacle to a Corsham railway station is the provision of a suitable and viable train service:
      ^ A regular direct London service is not considered to be feasible primarily due to incompatibility with wider rail industry goals to improve the quality of intercity services on the Great Western mainline
      ^ For each of the four train service options considered, the estimated annual operating costs exceed the forecast annual revenue generated (to at least 2033/34)
      ^ The addition of stops at Corsham and Royal Wootton Bassett significantly improves the revenue generation of each train service option and in particular the Bristol to Oxford service option (although there is still the requirement for an initial eight year service subsidy of around ^1.8m).
   ^ Consideration of other economic benefits, such as journey time benefits and environmental benefits, may enhance the overall case for each service option

The report suggests the next steps should be to focus on demonstrating a suitable service could operate to serve Corsham station (and potentially a Royal Wootton Basset station) through engagement with key partners and further detailed analysis. Philip Whitehead, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: ^The study provides a robust and up-to-date analysis of the case for a Corsham Station. While it is clear that a station at Corsham would be beneficial and could be operationally viable, it is also clear that this can only be achieved when a suitable train service has been secured. ^We will now look to work with key partners such as Network Rail, Great Western Railway, the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and relevant neighbouring local authorities and local enterprise partnerships to gauge their support for a suitable train service. It should be noted, however, that this is likely to be a challenging and protracted process.^

The full report is still being examined and will be released in due course.

[grahame]

http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Report-makes-case-railway-station-Corsham/story-28641139-detail/story.html?

There is a case for building a railway station at Corsham which could bring thousands of passengers a year to and from Bath, a new report has said.

Last year, Wiltshire Council commissioned Atkins to assess the case for a possible station in the town.

It has found there is an "identified market" for a rail station at Corsham particularly in relation to journeys to and from Bath and Bristol.

Forecasts indicate Corsham station could carry up to 400,000 passengers per year and that future development plans would be expected to further increase this number.

A statement from Wiltshire Council said: "An initial analysis indicates it could be viable to introduce a new hourly train service between Bristol and Swindon to serve a new Corsham Station, with possible extensions to Oxford or Cardiff.

"Four possible service options have been tested: a new service from Bristol Temple Meads to Swindon; a new service from Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford; a new service from Cardiff Central to Swindon and an extension of the MetroWest service from Bath Spa to Chippenham."

The report continued that the main obstacle to a Corsham railway station is the provision of a suitable and viable train service.

It found that a regular direct London service "is not considered to be feasible primarily due to incompatibility with wider rail industry goals to improve the quality of intercity services on the Great Western mainline."

In addition, for each of the four train service options considered the estimated annual operating costs exceed the forecast annual revenue generated up to at least 2033/34.

The report suggests the next steps should be to focus on demonstrating a suitable service could operate to serve Corsham station, and potentially a Royal Wootton Basset station, "through engagement with key partners and further detailed analysis."

Philip Whitehead, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "The study provides a robust and up-to-date analysis of the case for a Corsham station.

"While it is clear that a station at Corsham would be beneficial and could be operationally viable, it is also clear that this can only be achieved when a suitable train service has been secured.

"We will now look to work with key partners such as Network Rail, Great Western Railway, the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership and relevant neighbouring local authorities and local enterprise partnerships to gauge their support for a suitable train service.

"It should be noted, however, that this is likely to be a challenging and protracted process."

[TonyK]

And a year after the two stations open, they will gasp in wonder at passenger numbers 50% above forecasts as they receive petitions for extra carriages to relieve overcrowding.