Welcome to the 'New Somerset and Dorset Railway'

The original Somerset and Dorset Railway closed very controversially in 1966. It is time that decision, made in a very different world, was reversed. We now have many councillors, MPs, businesses and individuals living along the line supporting us. Even the Ministry of Transport supports our general aim. The New S&D was formed in 2009 with the aim of rebuilding as much of the route as possible, at the very least the main line from Bath (Britain's only World Heritage City) to Bournemouth (our premier seaside resort); as well as the branches to Wells, Glastonbury and Wimborne. We will achieve this through a mix of lobbying, trackbed purchase and restoration of sections of the route as they become economically viable. With Climate Change, road congestion, capacity constraints on the railways and now Peak Oil firmly on the agenda we are pushing against an open door. We already own Midford just south of Bath, and are restoring Spetisbury under license from DCC, but this is just the start. There are other established groups restoring stations and line at Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone, and the fabulous narrow gauge line near Templevcombe, the Gartell Railway.

There are now FIVE sites being actively restored on the S&D and this blog will follow what goes on at all of them!
Midford - Midsomer Norton - Gartell - Shillingstone - Spetisbury


Our Aim:

Our aim is to use a mix of lobbying, strategic track-bed purchase, fundraising and encouragement and support of groups already preserving sections of the route, as well as working with local and national government, local people, countryside groups and railway enthusiasts (of all types!) To restore sections of the route as they become viable.
Whilst the New S&D will primarily be a modern passenger and freight railway offering state of the art trains and services, we will also restore the infrastructure to the highest standards and encourage steam working and steam specials over all sections of the route, as well as work very closely with existing heritage lines established on the route.

This blog contains my personal views. Anything said here does not necessarily represent the aims or views of any of the groups currently restoring, preserving or operating trains over the Somerset and Dorset Railway!

Saturday, August 08, 2009

assailed by peak oil from all sides


When Peak Oil starts reaching the national press - especially the Climate-Change-loving Independent - you know something's up! This was Thursday's headline. Seems cheap oil is running out faster than even the most pessimistic forecasts. The current recession hasn't helped at all (apart from depressing demand slightly) as a lot of investment has been cut back.


Then on Friday MoneyWeek headlines with this. Of course electric cars will only be a short-lived fad as nobody is explaining how all this extra generating capacity is going to be provided or fuelled ...


... and reads even more stupidly when Friday's Economist carried this headline. We can't even keep up with existing demand, especially once the current crop of nuclear power stations are decommissioned over the next decade or two. Electric cars are possibly the biggest con yet.


And on Saturday this succinct gem appeared on a leaflet pushed through the door - no doubt with patriotic force - by the BNP!
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for not printing the usual lies about the BNP like the mainstream media always prints. The BNP are really the only hope Britain has right now to revive British industry.

Dan