Swanage Railway Reconnection To National Network - Decision Time

Dorset County Council's Cabinet had been expected to make a decision today [Wednesday] on the £3m pledge required by Network Rail. In turn this was to have been put to the full DCC meeting tomorrow. This has been delayed, apparently, pending clarification of an issue between DCC and PDC.
It is understood that the DCC Cabinet is generally positively supportive of the re-signalled Worgret Junction upgrade and, I believe, the Swanage Railway management are 'very cautiously optimistic' although it is unwise to be too confident in the current very tough economic times. The DCC decision is now expected at the end of next week - the eve of NR's deadline. For anyone interested, the cabinet papers are in the public domain and can be found on the DCC website by following this link:

http://www1.dorsetforyou.com/COUNCIL/commis2009.nsf/86667A6865A129D180257760002D61B9/$file/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20JUL%2010%20Wareham%20to%20Swanage%20Branch%20Line%20Worgret%20Junction.pdf

SR management will not make any public comment pending the formal decision of DCC next week.

 

I like very cautiously optimistic!

Would be a massive mistake for Dorset if they say no...

 

I cannot get the link to work no matter what I try and as I previously posted I cannot find it on the website. Please can you repost the link and this time use the 'insert link' button to specify the link. It's the globe with what looks like a paperclip across the bottom of it. Thanks!

 

There is a superfluous space in between Li and ne (of Wareham to Swanage Branch Li ne Worgret Junction) in the URL, delete this, and it works, but nonetheless here is a link.

Hope that helps,

John

 

John, Beat me to it. Many thanks. Peter
P.S. Apologies for original failed link. I just copied it here and hadn't spotted the 'errant' space!

 

Some good news as per the article reproduced below from todays Bournemouth Echo about the DCC meeting - now it is up to Purbeck District Council to do their bit it seems.

DORSET County Council has made history by agreeing to support a £3 million project to reconnect Swanage to the mainline rail network.

However, county officials won’t make an official pledge to Network Rail – which needs to know the money is in place by the end of this month – until Purbeck District Council provides a cast-iron guarantee it will also support the proposal.

District councillors meet on July 29 to decide if they can fully commit.

County councillor Mike Lovell said: “This is something that we really need to try and do.

“The risk is not very high to the county council, but this is the one thing that will kill the Purbeck Transport Strategy if it doesn’t happen.

“This is also the one thing that will help get people off the roads.”

County council cabinet members believe the scheme has huge environmental and commercial benefits.

Transport bosses say the £3million would come from an existing fund which developers pay into when they build in the county.

And the costs could be split across three years, so it would not have a major impact on the current financial difficulties affecting local authorities.

Because responsibility for the collection of these development contributions lies with the district council, it must agree to fully support it if the plan is to proceed.

Network Rail needs an assurance for when the planned Poole to Wool re-signalling work starts in 2012.

Campaigners, councillors and Purbeck business leaders have been pushing for the reconnection after an absence of mainline services for more than three decades.

Last December, Purbeck District Council and the county each agreed to invest £50,000 to help upgrade Worgret Junction.

British Rail closed the branch line in 1972.

 

John and Peter,

Many thanks for the corrected link. It's an excellent read and given the latest reports it might actually happen!

Cheers,
Nigel

 

Argh I have everything crossed Good luck...do the right thing PDC!!

 

Link to the Bournemouth Evening Echo....

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/ne..._get_Swanage_rail_route_back_on_track/?ref=mr

 

I have just heard on the 15:00 local radio news that the Purbeck District Council has voted to support the funding, don't know what this means in real terms but I think it is the last step in getting it secured.

 

Blimey! Talk about close to the wire! Looks like all systems are go!

Dorset County Council will now confirm to Network Rail that the reconnection will be included in the Purbeck Transportation Strategy.

Network Rail, is seeking confirmation by 31 July that the £3m will be available for the re-signalling of the Wareham to Swanage branch line at Worgret Junction. Dorset County Council gave its commitment on 21 July 2010, as transport authority, but needed Purbeck District Council’s guarantee to support the proposal as part of the Purbeck Transportation Strategy.

 

Is your name "Bryan" spelt with "y" as well? LOl!

Yes. Great news.

Now to get a full size turntable down there..............

 

That is excellent news indeed (as well as proof that not everything is gloom and doom at the moment!).

 

Good news Link to BBC Dorset news story here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-10810290

 

News Release



Purbeck District Council backs rail connection



Purbeck District Council has confirmed its support for the reconnection of Swanage to the mainline rail network.



Following last week’s commitment by Dorset County Council to the £3 million project for the reconnection, the District Council today gave its support as part of the Purbeck Transportation Strategy.



This now gives the assurance that funding is in place to commence re-signalling works.



Councillor Beryl Ezzard, Housing and Social Issues Spokesperson, Purbeck District Council, said: “The proposal helps to underpin one of the targets set out under the Council’s priority of ‘Helping all people access services locally’. It has been a long journey to get to this point, but we can now progress to once again linking the district by rail, which will have enormous benefits for residents, commuters and visitors, and relieve congestion in the district.”



Dorset County Council will now confirm to Network Rail that the reconnection will be included in the Purbeck Transportation Strategy.



Network Rail, is seeking confirmation by 31 July that the £3m will be available for the re-signalling of the Wareham to Swanage branch line at Worgret Junction. Dorset County Council gave its commitment on 21 July 2010, as transport authority, but needed Purbeck District Council’s guarantee to support the proposal as part of the Purbeck Transportation Strategy.



The aim of the Purbeck Transportation Strategy is to improve movement around the district, taking traffic away from the congested A351 by using alternative forms of transport. The Strategy is funded by contributions from development.



Ends

 

Great news for all SR supporters.
We just have to keep our fingers crossed that Network Rail don't cape the Dorset resignalling scheme as part of any "cost cutting" [as required by the present Government no doubt].

 

If someone has offered them £3m support with such a tight deadline then I suspect that any cuts may well be elsewhere.

 

Great news for everyone Peter if it is an unequivocal guarantee. It is encouraging to see such positive words from Purbeck council, but I am just a little cautious that "support" is one of these mealy council words that does not actually mean the same as "fund" or "underwrite". I am a little concerned that it means "If somebody comes to us with the planning request we will look on it favourably" os some other such emptiness.
I believe this reconnection will show that many routes that were built over could have been viable today. Beeching is not the criminal - it is the short sighted and nameless politician who decreed that all possible railway land should be sold off piecemeal to try and make a few paltry quid for the Treasury.

 

Excellent news. No doubt much lobbying has gone on in the background on this, so well done all involved.

 

Great news. Can't imagine how tense everyone at Swanage was waiting for the decision.