Minehead Rail Link Group

[whole diary]

[Noggin]

I expect a few years of reviews, studies, and consultations, followed by a change of government with the new government re-doing the reviews, studies and consultations because the last lot did not do them properly.
Simply making use of an existing railway line is arguably too simple.

I suspect the problem is more that the Minehead is too far south to count, especially if Labour get in - wealthy and pampered enough already aren't we?

[broadgage]

I thought that Butlins was a favoured holiday destination for the less well off.
As a resident of Minehead, I would not consider the area to be pampered or well off.
Average living standards could be improved by a decent all year round train service as this would facilitate employment without driving.

[grahame]

From Somerset Live

Efforts to improve Somerset's rail services have hit a snag after the government refused to fund better connections to the county's main heritage line. The West Somerset Railway (WSR^▸ (West Somerset Railway - heritage line between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard)) runs between Bishop's Lydeard, a few miles outside Taunton, and Minehead via numerous small stations in west Somerset, including the coastal town of Watchet and the villages of Blue Anchor, Dunster and Williton.

There have been numerous attempts to reconnect the heritage services with mainline Great Western Railway (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) services at Taunton, including the trial of a connecting service between Taunton and Bishop's Lydeard in the summer of 2019. Somerset Council and West Somerset Railway PLC jointly submitted a strategic outline business case (SOBC) to the Department for Transport (DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) in November 2024, asking for £137,000 to developer proposals for reopening the link between Taunton and Bishop's Lydeard.

[Witham Bobby]

From Somerset Live

Efforts to improve Somerset's rail services have hit a snag after the government refused to fund better connections to the county's main heritage line.

 [SNIP]

in the summer of 2019. Somerset Council and West Somerset Railway PLC jointly submitted a strategic outline business case (SOBC) to the Department for Transport (DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) in November 2024, asking for £137,000 to developer proposals for reopening the link between Taunton and Bishop's Lydeard.

£137,000 would hardly register on the amount of money the railway expends on consultations of all sorts.  This seems more like trying to head something off, preventing momentum, rather than actual stinginess over the cost of a report

[Phantom]

From Somerset Live

Efforts to improve Somerset's rail services have hit a snag after the government refused to fund better connections to the county's main heritage line.

 [SNIP]

in the summer of 2019. Somerset Council and West Somerset Railway PLC jointly submitted a strategic outline business case (SOBC) to the Department for Transport (DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) in November 2024, asking for £137,000 to developer proposals for reopening the link between Taunton and Bishop's Lydeard.

£137,000 would hardly register on the amount of money the railway expends on consultations of all sorts.  This seems more like trying to head something off, preventing momentum, rather than actual stinginess over the cost of a report

That was my thoughts too, in the scheme of things £137k is not really that large an amount.
I would be surprised if that could not be raised via a number of different ways so suspect there is more to this than the actual amount

[TonyK]

Don't forget that the £137,000 is just to develop a process to find out how much it would cost to reopen the link.

[grahame]

Now here's an idea - have a read.  It can be done if the will is there!

A train service, combining local travel, enthusiast and tourist.

https://grahamellis.uk/blog1634.html

[grahame]

From Somerset Live

A direct bus link between Taunton and the West Somerset Railway (WSR^▸ (West Somerset Railway - heritage line between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard)) is being scrapped after 20 years due to low passengers numbers. The 28 bus, which runs from Taunton to Minehead, currently stops within the Broadgauge business park in Bishop's Lydeard, providing a direct transfer to the heritage railway service from mainline trains.

First Group PLC, which runs the service, has confirmed that these stops will be "temporarily withdrawn" from August 31 due to low passenger numbers – much to the chagrin of local transport campaigners. The 28 and 28A will continue to serve Bishop's Lydeard by stopping outside the Lethbridge Arms, with Somerset Council and First Group both assuring residents that this change will improve the service's reliability.

David Redgewell from the South West Transport Network raised the issue when the full council convened in Bridgwater on Wednesday afternoon (July 16).

He said: "The bus/ rail service is due to end after 20 years between Taunton town centre, Taunton railway station and Bishop's Lydeard railway station on August 31. At the Somerset bus advisory board, First Group PLC said they wanted to close the railway station interchange stop and only stop at The Lethbridge Arms pub.

"That represents a ten- to fifteen-minute journey for those with reduced mobility, partially-sighted passengers and wheelchairs users, via and across the A358."

Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said that the chance were "not a cost-cutting measure" and had been made with the support of both the council and the Somerset Bus Partnership.

Have First Group made any offers in mitigation such as extending their trains from Taunton ... just asking ;-)

[grahame]

From Somerset Live

Efforts to reconnect a historic Somerset rail line to the national network have taken a step forward after Rachel Gilmour MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) secured what she described as a “crucial” meeting with senior Department for Transport officials.

The Tiverton and Minehead MP will meet representatives after the summer recess to discuss proposals to link the West Somerset Railway between Bishops Lydeard and Taunton, alongside other local transport concerns.

[Witham Bobby]

From Somerset Live

Efforts to reconnect a historic Somerset rail line to the national network have taken a step forward after Rachel Gilmour MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) secured what she described as a “crucial” meeting with senior Department for Transport officials.

The Tiverton and Minehead MP will meet representatives after the summer recess to discuss proposals to link the West Somerset Railway between Bishops Lydeard and Taunton, alongside other local transport concerns.

Not sure how "transformational" for the good folks of West Somerset and for visitors this might be, if it involves a break of journey at Bishops Lydeard (a matter of minutes away from (likely) another at Taunton) and a 25mph line speed

The vision of the mid 1970s to have a proper railway service between Minehead and the network remains very firmly out of reach.  Sadly

[grahame]

The vision of the mid 1970s to have a proper railway service between Minehead and the network remains very firmly out of reach.  Sadly

Sadly - and frustratingly ... elements of this story have been brought home to me recently in reading both here and social media, and looking also at local stories too.   

Comment on the shared post suggested that companies and staff representatives running the bus services from Taunton to Minehead would be less than happy with income and jobs taken away from the buses. That's still as the early days of trying to get the linked train service nearly half a century ago. An irony was pointed out in that those very buses are being withdrawn from service Bishops Lydeard Station.

I also gave this thought when looking at trained volunteers v paid staff members.  The Melksham Town Council Splashpad was staffed when first installed by trained and paid amenities team staff. They all left early in 2023, and in order to open the pad for customers that summer, I as a volunteer and a couple of students on summer break were trained up.  Yes, training cost money - but as a councillor I could not be paid, and the volunteers weren't on civil servant salaries.  We knew what we needed and a bit more, and had two remaining managers we could call on.  Last year was an uneasy mix of voluntary and permanent staff work (and should I have volunteered rather than pay someone?) and this year one of the managers has been declared redundant and there have been all sorts of splash pad issues.  It closed with problems at the end of last week for the season, and I suspect that one of the jobs no longer done has been preventative maintenance and / or having maintenance backup and contracts in place.  I put it forward that a team of volunteers with a good support network would have meant that the season had not been so bitty and end ended early, but that not as many staff would have been employed.

There are massive political and organisational issue with who and how things should and could be done.

[ChrisB]

It's going backwards on that line - I'm hearing that W&SMR WSR^▸ (West Somerset Railway - heritage line between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard) are removing disabled assistance at Minehead & Watchet from 1st September?

[edit] correct railway company name; thanks CfN![/edit]

[anthony215]

Years ago I remember Wessex trains used their class 31 and mk2 rakes to run a Bristol tm to Minehead service I think on behalf of butlins, I'm sure i saw a butlins express headboard on one the fragonset class 31s ?

Anyone remember how often it ran ?

[grahame]

The vision of the mid 1970s to have a proper railway service between Minehead and the network remains very firmly out of reach.  Sadly

[snip]
There are massive political and organisational issue with who and how things should and could be done.

Years ago I remember Wessex trains used their class 31 and mk2 rakes to run a Bristol tm to Minehead service I think on behalf of butlins, I'm sure i saw a butlins express headboard on one the fragonset class 31s ?

Anyone remember how often it ran ?

I don't remember ... but I did take a look at the services timetabled for the rest of the year this morning and remain disappointed at where we are all these year later.

[bradshaw]

This from the Taunton Trains website

https://www.tauntontrains.co.uk/photos/gallery/fragonset