BRTA Westbury Forum 10-05-2025 All Welcome

Has happened, future meetings planned. Report in due course. Meanwhile here is a couple of shots:

Minutes of Westbury Forum in brief: 

• Chair - David Ferguson
• Apologies for absence - Richard Pill and David Start(BRTA members), Sarah Dyke (MP for Glastonbury & Somerton), Cllr.Richard Wilkins (Somerset Council), Alex Lawrie (Go-op Trains).
• Radstock-Frome - We suggest that the West Wilts Rail Users Group would be best - which includes the Bristol-Weymouth service that uses Frome and Castle Cary. Both routes to Bath (for leisure/cycling rather than commuting) and Frome need route protection.
• Barnstaple-Exeter  - Crediton Junction uses a signal token where the Okehampton line diverges from the Barnstaple Line. In the longer term the refurbished Class 175s could be used on that route which will boost capacity.
• Bristol Metro - We avidly support Pilning (on the South Wales main line close to the Severn Tunnel) which originally had 2 trains per week. That station is close to the Gloucester County Cricket ground and also some business parks. The former freight-only Tytherington branch is the proposed site of a new town at Thornbury,which neeeds a new station. A new station at North Filton (on the freight-only branch Bristol Parkway to Severn Beach) is needed since a Malaysian conglomerate is developing 1000 new homes. As regards the Portishead branch, the final business case is expected in July, and the proposed stations have only 1 platform - Pill and Portishead. On the Bristol Temple Meads-Bath route, there are line capacity issues which could affect both St.Annes Park and Saltford.
• New Stations West of England - Cullompton Station is expected to be given the go-ahead by Devon County Council fairly soon. Meanwhile Devizes Parkway is a top priority. There is an alignment at Savernake Junction which used to run to Marlborough and is only 5 miles, which is better than the present terminus at Bedwyn.
• New Stations South Wales Main Line - Grove Road Wantage is a top priority.
• New Stations South West Main Line - Chard Junction is a top priority.
• Bristol Temple Meads-Weymouth - Upgrade of Castle Cary Station very important, since it is used for the Glastonbury Festival and also the Bath & West Show at Shepton Mallet. Also Yeovil Junction-Yeovil Town should be double-tracked.
• New Bridge River Severn - The River Severn is the second largest tide in Great Britain. The Western Gateway partnership has no money at present.
• Bridport/Seaton/Lyme Regis - There is only 1 mile from the South West Main Line at Seaton Junction (between Axminster and Honiton) to the Seaton Tramway, which could be useful from road to rail access.
• Bere Alston-Tavistock - A further 260 homes are being developed, which again must be a top priority.
Courses of action are:
1. Join BRTA
2. Email your MP in support here and elsewhere
3. Attend meetings x wherever we have them.
Enquiries via ceo@brtarail.com

BRTA Westbury Forum 10-05-2025 All Welcome

I attach and list below the agenda BRTA will be tabling at the Westbury Forum. Please come and bring family and friends to gather together and explore, be open minded and help with solutions to overcome problems. 60 years since main closures, so much water under the proverbial bridge, blockages abound, but if there is a case for reopening for all the many benefits it brings, then should we urge councils, agencies and other power-platforms to engage more, study the case merits more and invest in strategies to get local rail back as much as possible for people and goods? Should we like HS2 have a "here's the cheque, move please"? or accept collateral damage, loss, disenfranchisement and estrangement to the 'now' situation on the ground? That is the choice nationwide. Bedford-Cambridge will not be an easy fight, and both old routes and new have their similar problems and power adequacy dilemmas on a budget of £6.4 billion and the Lower Thames Crossing (road only) £8-9 billion was found recently. The South West like the North needs its share and tiered approaches of 1. what can be done now, 2. what is medium term and 3. what is for someone else/wishful thinking? Faith-based realism and pragmatism is not the same as negativity, cynicism and throwing 80% market share to road upgrades which seem abundant, whilst congestion, pollution and parking demands seem endless, when the rail alternative could make a real contribution? 

BRTA can plant ideas, make requests and urge powers to invest in studying, making a case, protecting routes and deviation spaces and moving agendas towards delivery incrementally or like Bristol-Portishead as a full blown project which is all weather proof, why? Because the determinism was there and robust. 

What BRTA can do is seek to recruit a growing membership, advocate ideas in the media and other consultations and by growing our support base, delegating to Area Reps and them in turn doing the same and growing teams for project work, enabling real advocacy and progress as far as we may, to be realised, actualised and done. Often it is the absence of advocacy come rain or shine, which allows by default routes to be lost, costs to spiral and damage done. 

Ross on Wye is teaming with hotspot tourism, the case is readily discernible, the A40 evermore congested, land use for parking is land not available for other things, so talk with the town council and get a dialogue going, but needs capable people. 

BRTA seeks those people who take the proverbial 'fish' and turn it into a meal for 5000+ people! Not so much the 'miraculous' but the constant chipping away for a few basics and other things falling into place. If you do not ask, you will never get it. So we seek, ask and find incremental gains become apparent, fanning flames for more.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

BRTA CEO

Ps. Happy Easter and I am clearing my decks for invasive eye surgery in the coming week, which will put me out of action for a while. Thank you.

Agenda:

BRTA Westbury Forum

Saturday 10 May 2025 1pm lunch 2-4pm business
Venue: The Railway Inn, Station Road, Westbury BA13 4HW
Phone: 01373-228109

For further information please contact Simon Barber, 20 Fitzherbert House, Kingsmead, Richmond, Surrey TW10 6HT
Email address: admin@brtarail.com
Phone (landline): 020-8940-4399
Phone (mobile): 07522-374740

 

Agenda:

 

1.     Appointment of a Chair (not Simon)

2.     Apologies for absence

3.     Radstock-Frome: Can BRTA recruit and fill the gap with research, study, case building and route protection? How?

4.     Taunton-Barnstaple: Councils and agencies need to study and find solutions.

5.     Bristol Metro: LRT should be on road space, Bristol-Portishead should be conventional rail.

6.     New stations - West of England: Do a list for study and assessment on case merits

7.     New stations - South West Main Line and South West Main Line Cinderella Status via Axminster, what can be done/draw a list of ideas

8.     Bristol Temple Meads-Weymouth: How can patronage be enhanced?

9.     New bridge over River Severn

10.    Gloucester-Ross-on Wye-Hereford: needs an Area Rep to work it up.

11.    Severn Twin-Track new rail bridge linking England and Wales for more by rail capacity

12.    Bridport, Seaton, and Lyme Regis re-rail connectivity to main rail

13.    Yeovil curves enabling for example Weymouth-Exeter direct via Yeovil Junction?

14.    14. Any Other Business

15.    Day, date of next forum (scheduled and Exeter for Dr Jonathan Coghill to chair to be decided and put on website page).

BRTA is pro-rail, seeking solutions to overcome problems, not bedevilment. Any queries: ceo@brtarail.com See our website: https://brtarail.com/events/ and our Blogspot: https://brtarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/