Only one Devon rail scheme featured in the list of ten successful bidders in the first round of the Department for Transport's Restoring Your Railway fund. A project to reopen Cullompton and Wellington stations will get cash while campaigners hoping to open the lines between Bere Alston and Tavistock, Heathfield and Newton Abbot and Okehampton and Exeter will have to wait.
A Plymouth to Gunnislake train at Bere Alston Station
This allocation of money was the first round of the Ideas fund under which the Government will fund 75% of costs up to £50,000 of successful proposals to help fund transport and economic studies and create a business case. Future funding to develop projects would be subject to agreement of the business case. This study will be the first step in developing more detailed proposals and obtaining funding for a project’s delivery.
Cullompton station, which was initially opened in 1844 and was rebuilt in 1931 to include two passing loops, was one of the many that were closed as part of the Beeching Axe in October 1964. Much of the site is now used as a motorway service station. It’s hoped the reopened station will be part of the Devon Metro scheme.
All is not lost for the unsuccessful Devon schemes as a further funding round will be announced in June with a third in November. The Government says it’s also making funding available to accelerate the development and delivery of schemes that already have existing business cases.
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