BRTA Westbury Forum Saturday 9th May 2026 at The Railway Inn, Station Road, Westbury, BA13 4HW

BRTA Westbury Forum Saturday 9^th May 2026 at The Railway Inn, Station Road, Westbury, BA13 4HW T. 01373 228109 or Simon Barber (Convenor) 020 8940 4399 or 07522 374740.

All Welcome.

Pre-Agenda:

1.   Appointment of a chairperson for the meeting* (see notes)

2.   Appointment of someone to take notes/minutes and distribute after the meeting

3.    Apologies for absence

4.   Update on what Wiltshire Council is doing/issues and support: David Bullock CEng MICE, Interim Director Highways & Transport, (Head of Major Highway Projects)

5.   Local MP (?) opening words and photoshoots for newsletter.

1.   Agenda

2.   River Severn Estuary Rail Bridge – to inform more capacity for more by rail – passenger and freight. How do we take it forward/any volunteers?

3.   New Stations, West of England Main Line/elsewhere

4.   Reopening seaside branches to Bridport/West Bay, Seaton and Lyme Regis

5.   Radstock-Frome rescue trackbed, tracks and get support for reopening as a heavy rail addition to the local rail network.

6.   Go-op Rail Matters and progress updates?

7.   Bristol Templemeads to Weymouth direct line including consideration and offers to support Yeovil Curves and related benefits.

8.   New Stations South Wales Main Line

9.   Portishead reopening progress – BRTA wants more heavy rail reopenings. Malmsbury has been raised as per Cirencester.

10.             Gloucester-Ross-on-Wye-Hereford reopening – a study is agreed, but ideas of benefits and what to include in it?

11.             Any Other Business

12.             Date, time and place of next meeting Westbury and x wherever.

Notes:

1.   *From No 1 above – Simon does not chair meetings, he only convenes them for wider public benefit.

2.   Our forums are open to all and all are expected to engage, be positive, give support, join BRTA and be as constructive as possible.

3.   Realism is relative. If we cannot afford to reopen, can we afford not to? Practicalities like information of locations of blockages and the balance of whether you can realign, relocate and greater good to be given due research and consideration. BRTA needs more willing members to join and enable more of it.

4.   Membership and active willingness to assist with reliable volunteering is the best way to make progress for any hope. Seed sown falls of different soils, some are rocky, others fertile and we want to optimise the potential for re-railing where it can be done.

5.   Any problems, email ceo@brtarail.com and also to join our free email update loops.

6.   For more about BRTA and the sort of things we are interested in, please see: https://brtarail.com/our-campaigns/ and https://brtarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/