Corsham Station reopening

[whole diary]

[patch38]

http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/14432093.Corsham_station_could_be_open_in_three_years_say_campaigners/

A railway station could be ready for Corsham as soon as 2019, according to the chairman of the town^s train group project.

61 years after the station closed, momentum towards reopening it is accelerating down the track following the formation of a working group in the town late last month.

Corsham Town Council, MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) for Corsham Michelle Donelan, Corsham Institute and the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership among others formed in late March to build a compelling region-wide case for reopening the station.

Forecasts from a Wiltshire Council study, the Atkins report, indicate that a Corsham station could carry up to 400,000 passengers a year with an identified for journeys [sic] to and from Bath and Bristol and Wiltshire too.

^We are really delighted by the amount of support we have received, both from Westminster and closer to home, the process is accelerating along nicely,^ said Councillor Peter Pearson, who is chairing the group.

^We cannot accelerate any more than we are. It is progressing nicely. At the earliest it could be ready for 2019 but more realistically between 2019 and 2021.

^This would be a hugely beneficial project to Wiltshire and further-a-field. We have a strong economic case here. A report will go to National Rail, who would fund it, in about 16 weeks.

^This has been in the public eye ever since it closed but now we are taking action. We are at stage two with the Governance for Rail Investment Projects (GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects)) process. It will not happen overnight but positive steps are being made.^

The need for a station could be accelerated with the news that Corsham has been earmarked to have a ^40m Ministry of Defence cyber security hub ^ creating jobs, more investment and a potential influx

Ms Donelan said: ^Surveys have shown record levels of demand for wanting a station, more than 80 per cent. On top of the MOD news, there is a huge case for this anyway.

^We do have a very pro-rail government. It is about persuading network rail that this is a viable but also a profitable enterprise and service. I have mentioned this several times in Parliament. We are trying to set up a meeting with the department of transport again.

^This is a local and a regional campaign with a lot of benefits and there is a lot of goodwill behind this project. I am confident we can push this forward but it is not an easy process, it is costly, time consuming but very worthwhile.^

Wiltshire Council said after the Atkins report: "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."

[grahame]

A recent correspondence about a potential station for Corsham sent me looking back at the Coffee Shop archives and noting that the "Campaigns for new and improved services > Corsham Station reopening" thread hasn't been updated in a while. ("Corsham" has been mentioned by name in 15 other public threads on the forum already this year, mind you - see [[here]])

Corsham lies on the main London to Bristol line between Swindon and Bath Spa; the station there closed in 1965 together with the other stations on that line (except Chippenham) on the withdrawal of the local train service, and nowadays only London to Bristol (with some continuing beyond) expresses pass the site.  Corsham has a population of perhaps 14,000, compared to Chippenham which must be approaching 50,000 and Bath with estimates over 100,000.

For a few years around the turn of the century, a more local Bristol to Oxford train service ran in addition to the Bristol to London trains, and during that time proposals for a re-opened Corsham Station made excellent progress - very well into the planning process. However, that service was withdrawn in about 2003, and plans to open a station at Corsham foundered because there would be no suitable trains to stop there.  The extra time taken by a London express stopping at Corsham would slow that service down and that would be a greater detriment to the economies of places like Bath and Bristol than the gains for Corsham, and long platforms would have been needed too putting the costs right up.  And a station without trains is pretty much a white elephant!   Service problem to be sorted ...

Fast forward to the current decade. Rail passenger numbers have rocketed. Journeys to and from Bath Spa have risen by 72%, Chippenham by 54%, Melksham by 172% and Bradford-on-Avon by 113%. (2005 to 2017 / ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) data).  Corsham has grown and indeed become very much a digital hub. Bath has congestion and serious air quality problems which are not helped by people driving in from the east, and Chippenham station which is accessed purely through the town isn't ideal as a railhead for the wider North Wiltshire area.  The team involved ten to fifteen years ago is still very much pro-station and aware of the changes in the local economy. Newcomers are strongly advised to work with them and learn from their experience, while injecting fresh enthusiasm in a practical case.  Alas, they're also aware that a number of people and organisations were disappointed to extent of feeling very hurt when the previous plan collapsed, and also they're very much aware that wiht new standards required and austerity, new station prices have rocketed, funding has become even harder to find, and justification hurdles have been raised even higher as we live in a much more risk averse world.

"I would like a station for my town" is a natural desire of many people. "I would use it regularly" is likely to apply to only a small proportion of those. "I would worry about the station access traffic and all the extra development it might bring" is a concern too. "What benefits would it bring to the economy and how would it pay for itself" and questions that your local goverenment and indeed central government will ask, and the rail operators will ask "what will stop there?", "will there be enough capacity on the line" and "will there be enough space on the trains" as well as "do we need to buy, staff and run extra trains to do this".  Road transport operators will ask "is this going to compete with us and take away from our business".

Two locations have been mentioned in recent years for a Corsham Station.  One is near where the old station used to be, within the built up area of the town. I think that would have very limited parking, so be mainly for people living / working / visiting within the town and with limited use for "wider Corsham".  The second mention - very much a 'long shot' - has been at Thingley, about 2 miles to the east of the town.  As soon as you move the station away from residences, you're killing much of the local traffic - looking for a bus link, perhaps. But then there would be other opportunities for a "Parkway" such as providing a major park and ride opportunity.  A location at Thingley would raise other questions as to which line(s) the platforms were to be on - 1, 2, 3 or even 4 platforms - and what trains would call. The TransWilts services would be an option, but if they were the only ones to call they would preclude the new station being easily used as a park and ride for Bath.

From a personal viewpoint, I look at the case for a station in Corsham itself, with an extra train service to call there, and feel that its case might be made very much stronger when combined with other aspirations such as Royal Wootton Bassett, and Grove / Wantage. With those other extra stations, your new train has its cost shared over multiple catchments and will do them all economic good. On the "down side" of course you also have more ducks to try and line up. Also from a personal viewpoint - I'm writing this post to help document and update where things stand and not to have any signifiant element of involvement beyond that.

Anyways ... I'm going to take a pause at that point and invite my correspondent and others to follow up here ... and the discussion might well follow on from my general list of questions from the other day - updated to 12 questions to reflect member's comments.

Who do you want to use it?
How will they get to / from the station (bus, cycling, walk, car consideration)?
Is it a safe place for a station?
What trains will call there?
Will they be frequent enough?
Will there be enough space for extra passenger on the train?
Will they go to the right places?
Is there space on the line and in their schedules for the extra stop?
Who will pay for it?
Will it just abstract passengers from other stations?
Is there a wider economic, congestion, clean air benefit?
Who will take the lead in promoting it and the risk?

You'll note some of those are issues I've hinted at above already.   They're not new / unique to Corsham - there are very very many aspirations for new stations in the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) area - indeed that was a point raised / discussed / commented on at the TransWilts Stakeholder meeting yesterday afternoon. Conclusion - while some can / will come to the top of the pile, many may not for a few or many years - or ever.  And the best cases (within that, local sentiment is a significant but minority measure) will happen ... eventually, this being rail where everything seems to take a long time.


Two pictures from the (rail) centre of Corsham






Three pictures from Thingley







edit to add pictures

[froome]

A station at Corsham would also serve villages like Rudloe, Box, Gastard, Neston and Atworth, and probably attract a few Melksham residents who wished to travel to Bath or Bristol directly. So potentially sufficient to justify the expenditure.

One point for consideration that Graham didn't mention is the endless debate in Bath about the lack of an eastern park and ride. In my view, I doubt whether a suitable site for one will ever be found, and if this was just accepted, then the case for a station here would become a lot stronger, as a train would be much faster than any bus could be as well as any car journey.

[grahame]

A station at Corsham would also serve villages like Rudloe, Box, Gastard, Neston and Atworth, and probably attract a few Melksham residents who wished to travel to Bath or Bristol directly. So potentially sufficient to justify the expenditure.

That's provided that there is suitable access to the station from those outliers, mind

One point for consideration that Graham didn't mention is the endless debate in Bath about the lack of an eastern park and ride. In my view, I doubt whether a suitable site for one will ever be found, and if this was just accepted, then the case for a station here would become a lot stronger, as a train would be much faster than any bus could be as well as any car journey.

I did hint at it, mind, in relation to a Thingley Junction site.

The TransWilts services would be an option, but if they were the only ones to call they would preclude the new station being easily used as a park and ride for Bath.

[ChrisB]

The need for a suitable local service train is as important.

The best in the short term (as it is already in the planning stage) is the Go-op proposal, but they seem to have stymied recently. If that can get started on their current proposal, stopping that more frequently will help pay for it....then proposals for extra stations might gain traction....but if Go-Op can't find the slots to run their train, for example, I think you can forget new station proposals

[grahame]

The need for a suitable local service train is as important.

From Michelle Donelan MP^▸ (Member of Parliament), on FaceBook on 2nd January 2021

I was really disappointed to hear news that the submission to the 2nd tranche of the Department for Transport?s Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund has not been successful. I sponsored this bid and rallied 4 other MPs who would benefit from the restoration of this line, including the reopening of a station at Corsham to also support the submission.

An expression of interest on restoring secondary train services to the Great Western Main Line was submitted on 22 May and the full submission (for appropriate initial study work to be undertaken) was sent on 19 June 2020.

As well as improving connectivity between Bristol to Oxford (and potentially further east) this would have helped realise new stations at Corsham and Royal Wootton Bassett / Swindon West. It would also potentially help realise new stations at Swindon East, Grove (Oxfordshire), Saltford and St Anne?s Park (West of England).

The fight is not over. Officers at Wiltshire Council worked hard to complete the submission and I firmly believe there remains an extremely strong case for the reopening of Corsham Station. I look forward to continuing the work on this project in the new year and continuing to lobby the Department for Transport.

[grahame]

From Wiltshire Council

Wiltshire Council bids for funding to create two new stations

Wiltshire Council has submitted bids to the Department for Transport (DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) for funding to develop feasibility studies for two new stations in Wilton and Corsham, as part of the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund to link the two towns to the national rail network.

[snip]

In Corsham, the proposed new two-platform station would be situated on the Great Western Main Line, with potentially train service links to London Paddington, Bristol, Swindon and Reading, and would help to reduce traffic volumes in the town, as it would provide easy access to/from MOD Corsham, the largest employer in the town.

This bid also has widespread backing, with local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Michelle Donelan and six other MPs in the region supporting the plans, along with other stakeholders such as Corsham Town Council, Bath & North East Somerset Council, Bath Spa University, Chippenham Town Council and MOD Corsham.

Cllr Bridget Wayman, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: "These are two excellent bids that, if approved and progressed further, will go some way to improving rail links in Wiltshire, and enable more people to travel by train to and from Wilton and Corsham.

[snip]

"The Corsham bid would also give the town a rail link to London, and would enable easy access to Bath, Bristol and Swindon. Commuters and visitors to the MOD site in the town could also come by train, reducing traffic on local roads.

"However, it's important to state that these are early days for each of the bids. If one or both are approved at this stage by the DfT in the next few months, we will be given funding to take the bids to the next step, which will see the preparation of strategic outline business cases. Only then could we start to get an indication of whether the bids will be a success, but we have submitted comprehensive bid applications, so we have high hopes.

"Both submissions are an excellent example of partnership working, with local council members, council officers, MPs and the town councils all working closely with other stakeholders to create these strong bids.

"If approved, it's expected that the Wilton project would cost around £20m and would look to be delivered sometime in the period 2024-2029 to fit in with other rail industry initiatives, while the Corsham project would cost in the region of £10m-£15m. Implementation of the station would be dependent on securing a suitable train service, which will involve work with the rail industry and key partners along the line."

Snipped bits are Wilton which I will post under that station

[ellendune]

This appeared in the Swindon Advertiser. It merely repeats the press release detailed below so I will not quote it all.

However on paragraph caught my eye

"Implementation of the station would be dependent on securing a suitable train service, which will involve work with the rail industry and key partners along the line."

Metrowest services to Westbury cannot serve the station, obviously, but if there was a turnback at Chippenham could they not go alternate directions?

[grahame]

I was writing yesterday on the Corsham Notice Board on Facebook (as one does!) concerning their buses and pointed someone at this thread ... to which he asks "is that current" - so time for a review?

Perceived direction at the moment for short term (and some of us fear longer term than short) is cost cutting even at the expense of existing passenger flows (BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) -> WAT services, FGH and others), and perceived problems at Corsham include lack of local trains to pass through there, and limited car parking space and private car access to station.  The business case for a new local service on a line stripped in the Beeching era or local stations to serve a single new local station is a tough one, and indeed we can see the "problems" the rail industry chooses to perpetuate in how it treats such stations that have survived - Dilton Marsh being our classic local example.

So - let's grasp the nettle of the lack of a regional service to call at the new station by redeignating one of the two hourly Paddington trains as "regional" and making it all stations, Bristol Temple Meads to Didcot - IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) are already used (or should be!!) on the Bedwyns - though with only "65 out of 80" diagrams running at present  (source - GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - 1st September) and you have a service that can call at Corsham, Royal Wootton Bassett and Wantage Road (and St Annes and Saltford, South Marston and Box) - also restoring a direct service from Oldfiel Park and Keynsham to London if the December cut of that service is removed).  It could even stop at Ayes and Arlington for an integrated airport connection - or is that too forward thinking?  Or backward in terms of aircraft use?

For the station, we are seeing so many station car parks decimated in their use - some stats here - and will that continue?  If the town bus (10), the village buses (68 and 69) and the through interurban / local bus (x31), calling at the station too, perhaps no need for the big car park and private car access any longer and social change is melting the perceived problem away?   Lots more people are walking and cycling to the station - certainly here in the neighbouring town of Melksham - where car park use is down to about a fifth of what it was.  Special case in that car parking charges were introduced early in Coronavirus and so it's impossible to say why the drop has happened just from the numbers, or where it is likely to go.   Anyway - this is a Corsham thread!

[Bmblbzzz]

Shouldn't we be getting a Metrowest service from Bristol to Swindon at some point, which would only make sense if all-stations?

[grahame]

Shouldn't we be getting a Metrowest service from Bristol to Swindon at some point, which would only make sense if all-stations?

The idea (at one point) was five trains an hour from Temple Meads via Bath
- a "half hourly" stopper service to Bath, one of which carried on to Westbury and perhaps beyond
- a half hourly London express
- an hourly regional train - Temple Meads, Bath Spa then major stations via Salisbury

Turning a train at Bath - or at a new station at Bathampton - proved problematic and so the short stopper was proposed to extend - with Chippenham, Swindon and Westbury all mentioned.  Chippenham and Swindon would be enablers for Corsham; turning at Chippenham would have much the same robustness issues as turning at Bath or Bathampton - so Westbury selected where (haha) there is plenty of platform space to turn trains.  Westbury does have the serious advantage, though, of providing extra trains / capacity from Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge into Bath and Bristol, and could advantageous expand to a clock faced train to Frome too.

So where does that leave Corsham?  Not in MetroWest - BUT try
* a regular 20 minute stopping service from Bristol Temple Meads of which
- one carries on to Westbury and Frome, perhaps further
- one carries on to Westbury and Warminster, perhaps further
- one carries on all stations to Didcot then just 2 or 3 more stops to London
* an hourly London express
* an hourly regional train - major stations to Portsmouth Harbour, some dividing at Fareham with a Brighton portion

I have italicised the service for Corsham

[grahame]

If you are a member of Corsham iHub on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/723655134703221/posts/1421469961588398/ - or  CorshamWilts - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1451989915101738/posts/2756422744658442/ - you will have read this from Michelle Donelan

Last week I spoke to Grant Shapps Secretary of State for Transport about the money we secured in the budget to progress Corsham Station.

This is an important step forward and I shall continue to work with the government and council to ensure we get Corsham Station re opened. #corsham #corshamstation

With a 53 second positive view in which Grant Shapps says what a good step forward this is and complements Michelle for her help.  There is no mention of other transport matters in the constitituency.   I have commented:

Thank you, Michelle, did you raise the issue of the withdrawal of through services from London to Bradford-on-Avon from next month? What he say? All very well looking to gain one station at some point in the future, but how about safeguarding what we have today and use well? Over 1400 constituents have signed a petition on this - the most signed petition at present in Chippenham. See https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/598397

and will follow up here should she get back to me.

[grahame]

and will follow up here should she get back to me.

Thank you Graham Ellis. As you know, I have been in correspondence with the Secretary of State for Transport, the Rail Minister and SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) about this issue. I also spoke to Grant Shapps about this when I saw him last week. As your MP^▸ (Member of Parliament), I will fight for better public transport across our constituency. Thank you everyone for contacting me about the rail service - it really does help.

Thank you - but $64,000 question - what did he SAY and what will he do about the Bradford-on-Avon trains he's ordered to be culled?  Please let me know through another route if this Corsham private page is not quite the place.  Really would like to see trains calling at a Corsham Station in a few years, but not at the expense of loosing a service already well used at B-o-A next month.

[grahame]

Thank you for your comments Graham Ellis please do drop me a email michelle.donelan.mp@parliament.uk and we can continue this conversation.