the new network

With oil prices staying high and clear signs that air travel will soon become a thing of the past - at least for the average person - it really is time to start developing the rail network properly. This means new routes, not just improvements to the existing ones. There are a few obvious candidates for early reopening - Okehampton-Plymouth, Lewes-Uckfield, Ripon, Keswick, Oxford-Cambridge, Bodmin-Wadebridge-Padstow, Buxton-Matlock, Cheltenham-Stratford, Bideford-Barnstaple, Woodhead ... and plenty more I've missed. There are still large towns not on the network - Gosport, Mold, Devizes, Tiverton for example. We need to ensure that the case for the S&D is also constantly made - particularly Templecombe-Bath, Blandford-Bournemouth and Evercreech (or Highbridge)-Glastonbury. The Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust is in a unique position as we are both a 'heritage' line and committed (through our Constitution) to seek ways to restore REAL trains to as much of the S&D as possible. You can help by joining the Trust or signing the petition (or both!)