Trains could return to Cullompton

A new station near the location of the old one is a ‘possible’ long term proposal

Proposals to reopen Cullompton’s railway station are continuing to gather steam.

The station, which was initially opened in 1844, was one of the many that were closed as part of the Beeching Axe.

Tiverton Junction, Cullompton, Hele and Bradninch and Silverton were closed to passengers on October 5, 1964, and the Cullompton station site has been turned into the motorway service station.

But there is a hope that a new Cullompton station can be built, as part of the “Devon Metro” plans by Devon County Council, a new station near the location of the old station is a ‘possible’ long term proposal.

Mid Devon District Council, along with Somerset West and Taunton Council, have assisted the local MPs in submitting an expression of interest to the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) ‘Restoring your Railway Fund’ under the ideas programme, for Cullompton and Wellington stations to reopen.

Mid Devon District Council’s cabinet, when they meet on Thursday, are being recommended to establish clear lines of decision making for the project going forward and to identify the next steps for taking forward the project. Despite the coronavirus outbreak, the meeting is still scheduled to take place.

The report of Jenny Clifford, Head of Planning, Economy and Regeneration, says: “There have been long established aspirations to reinstate stations at Cullompton and Wellington. A key driver for delivering these projects is that both areas are proximate to significant planned growth. It is considered that this can be part of a more general enhancement to the rail service between Bristol and Exeter.

“A site for a new railway station, north of Station road in Cullompton, is allocated within the emerging Local Plan. Network Rail carried out a timetable study in 2017 to explore whether a service could be provided calling at Cullompton and Wellington.”

She said that in January 2019, an initial feasibility study has been undertaken to check station arrangements fit within the allocated footprint and to assess if there were any signal issues, and it concluded that subject to topographical, structural and ground investigation surveys, a new station at Cullompton could be accommodated, as could a new station for Wellington, although a signal would need to be relocated.

For rail enhancement projects, Government guidance says that five stages of activity that need to be undertaken, with the Cullompton and Wellington projects at stage one.

Each of the key stages is separated by decision gateways to determine whether or not to proceed with the enhancement and the first three stages will all require a suitable and government compliant business case, with the Cullompton station project needing to have a Strategic Outline Business Case before it can progress to the next stage.

For the project to move to the next stage, a description of a clear, benefit for rail users, which should be in line with the government’s priorities for rail, is needed. A clear plan of action with anticipated costs for that stage, an indicative cost for the enhancement, demonstration that rail demand has been considered in the proposed enhancement, and an indication of whether the project might be suitable for private investment or alternative delivery models must also be considered.

Mrs Clifford added: “In April 2020 Network Rail is set to embark on a study for the Bristol to Exeter rail corridor as part of its long term planning process and it is envisaged that this work will take approximately one year to complete.

“If the Cullompton & Wellington Station re-opening project Strategic Outline Business Case could be developed during 2020 it would provide an opportunity to inform Network Rail’s CMSP work and raise its profile nationally.

“It is estimated that, building on the existing work done to date, to complete an SOBC would cost approximately £200,000 to £250,000.”

Existing funds available from partners total £68,719 and to date £31,281 has been spent on timetabling and initial feasibility work. A government funding bid has been submitted and the financial implications will need to be reassessed once a decision on the government funding has been received, the cabinet will be told.

A £500m fund was launched by the Government at the end of January to help fund feasibility studies of routes lost under the Beeching Axe that could be restored.

Devon County Council has already put forward the Bere Alston to Tavistock line as their submission for the fund, as well as reiterating the desire for regular weekday services between Okehampton and Exeter.

Mid Devon District Council, along with Somerset West and Taunton Council, have submitted an expression of interest to the Department for Transport’s Restoring your Railway Fund.

The council’s cabinet will be updated once a decision has been made as to whether the scheme has been successful in receiving government funding, and then, a decision will need to be taken as to whether the full strategic outline business case is pursued.

At Thursday’s meeting, the cabinet are recommended to approve the governance arrangements in order to seek to establish clear lines of decision making for the project going forward and to identify the next steps for taking forward the project.

Cllr Martin Smith, from Cullompton town council, previously said: ““It’s a very serious proposal now. We’ve got lots of towns around the country applying for this, but we’re about three years ahead of everybody.

“It’s a very serious proposal, and there are quite high hopes that we will get the station at Wellington and Cullompton. The station is much more applicable and will probably be ahead of anything that is done at Wellington.

“It’s something for the town to be enthused about, it’s a very serious proposal, and the business case is particularly strong. It’s already strong with the population we have now, but in the next two decades it’s only going to grow.”