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Is Swanage mainline rail plan running out of steam?

5:55pm Tuesday 2nd March 2010 in


THE dream of reconnecting Swanage to the mainline rail network could hit the buffers.

Members of the Purbeck Rail Partnership, the group established to champion the project, have failed in their bid to secure £3million needed to bankroll the scheme.

Now they have just two months to secure alternative funding, after Network Rail extended its end of February deadline.

National Rail bosses need a cast-iron guarantee, by the end of April, that the money will be made available ahead of planned Poole to Wool re-signalling work set for 2012.

Dorset County Council traffic manager Tim Westwood said: “The Purbeck Rail Partnership’s bid for £3m from south-west regional government to reconnect Swanage with the mainline rail network was unsuccessful.

“The deadline for securing the funding has now been extended by Network Rail to the end of April 2010 and the partnership is working hard to identify alternative sources of funding.”

Campaigners have worked to re-establish the link after an absence of more than three decades.

Local business leaders, many in the hospitality industry, believe a rail link is vital for the Swanage’s future. A Purbeck Hospitality Association spokesman said: “A regular rail connection to Wareham will allow people to travel between Purbeck and the rest of the country without using their cars, thus alleviating pressure on the county’s already crowded roads, as well as the environment.”

Volunteers from Swanage Railway, who already run services over most of the branch line, have also run a handful of irregular charter trains, bringing passengers in from outside the county.

The Purbeck Rail Partnership includes the county council, Purbeck District Council, Borough of Poole, and South West Trains.

Comments(13)

traindriver3ss says...
6:00pm Tue 2 Mar 10

sadly as I've said before it wont happen!!! the vast sums of money required to run mainline trains are just not viable!!! should never have been closed to start with!!!!

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purbeckwatcher says...
6:38pm Tue 2 Mar 10

A railway link is essential for Swanage to survive in these difficult times.
Many people would love to come to our festivals - like the 10th Swanage Blues Festival this weekend - but are put off by the limitations of the bus service between Wareham and Swanage

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traindriver3ss says...
7:00pm Tue 2 Mar 10

ahh but will they pay the prices to keep the line open???/

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CoogarUK.com says...
11:50pm Tue 2 Mar 10

traindriver3ss you seem to have contradicted yourself. Perhaps it was closed in the first place for not being viable? I'm in favour of the link being reopened though.

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traindriver3ss says...
12:11am Wed 3 Mar 10

no it was closed because the top bods in BR wanted it closed. In order to make it un viable they spent a fortune on maintenance ( Swanage stn never got so many coast of paint) I don't think i contradicted myself, said it would never be re opened as a main line route and sadly i don't think it will be. Then i replied to Purbeck watcher that if by some miracle they did manage it would the people he/she suggests pay enough to keep it open!!! I'd love it to re open!!!

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Donkey of Langton says...
9:50am Wed 3 Mar 10

The very least should see a transfer station, adjacent to the main line, where passengers could maybe experience a short disruption to their journey by changing trains to and from The Swanage Railway.

If it is so difficult to actually join with the mainline, there appears to be a negative, resigned attitude that nothing is possible?

It ain't a lot of money, people give millions overseas to disasters, and good causes, but neglect our homeland ... we are in need for survival as well!

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cantique says...
10:25am Wed 3 Mar 10

Unfortunately, Donkey, it is a lot of money. Yes, people give in their millions to disasters and good causes, but these usually inovolve people who have suffered or are suffering misfortune. Trying to raise funds from the public for projects such as this railway link is a different matter altogether. (Look at the problems faced by those trying to raise funds to keep the Vulcan flying.) Whilst I would love to see the line re-opened, £3m is lot of money.

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Azphreal says...
10:36am Wed 3 Mar 10

Maybe the 'Local business leaders' could stump up some of the money? Its a great line and kids love the steam trains and would be good to connect the line back to the rest of the country.

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Azphreal says...
10:36am Wed 3 Mar 10

Maybe the 'Local business leaders' could stump up some of the money? Its a great line and kids love the steam trains and would be good to connect the line back to the rest of the country.

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rook says...
1:20pm Wed 3 Mar 10

It is simply a dream for the rail enthusiasts involved in Swanage Railway, not a real business idea. The amount of passengers would simply not justify it. The idea that BR bosses had some kind of grudge against that line is ridiculous - they see net profit or net loss. If it looked like it would bring in money to the rail companies, of course they would reopen it.

I suspect the money has been asked for because Network Rail know it won't make a profit, so have set a target which can't be achieved.

The people at Swanage Railway should stick to what they do very well and forget this idea.

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greglarry says...
7:47pm Wed 3 Mar 10

Pete Waterman?

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Purbeckboy says...
9:27pm Thu 4 Mar 10

What a load of negative thoughts. We will do it, it will just take a lot longer. 400 people arriving by train in late March will show that Swanage could benefit by SW regional development investment to a great degree than the money that has been invested by them in a Business park that no one wants. They have 2 months to change their minds.

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traindriver3ss says...
5:01pm Mon 8 Mar 10

Purbeckboy wrote:
What a load of negative thoughts. We will do it, it will just take a lot longer. 400 people arriving by train in late March will show that Swanage could benefit by SW regional development investment to a great degree than the money that has been invested by them in a Business park that no one wants. They have 2 months to change their minds.
I really hope you do it!! but I'm afraid i cant see it!!! if I'm wrong i'll donate a days pay the first time i drive into Swanage!!!!!!

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