the chilcompton extension

(All 19.4.2010)

Three recent shots of Midsomer Norton's Chilcompton extension. This brings the line into the open countryside for which the S&D was rightly famous. tree clearance is now giving views across the town (see pic 3). Midsomer Norton has grown a lot since the closure of the line, perhaps surprisingly. No doubt had the line not closed it would have grown even more!

With larger towns along the route and the gradual (hopefully!) decline in road traffic, coupled with modern sustainable motive power, the New S&D should have a very bright and profitable future. With a complex mix of local and express passenger, and a variety of freight traffic, both through trains and originating on the route, the line will be very busy, probably far busier than it was in its first heyday when trains operated around the clock. This is one of the main reasons that it will be reconstructed with double track throughout, even on those sections that were originally single track, and also why we will be promoting alternative northern and southern exits (via Pensford to Bristol and Ringwood to Brockenhurst respectively).