spetisbury

Things are starting to buzz down in Dorset as the restoration of Spetisbury looms close!

Dean Cockwell has just updated the Spetisbury page on the New S&D website.

Current Status

The platforms remain and the ruins of the up line buildings are still discernible, and the rear wall of the main building is still standing. There appear to be remnants of the brickwork buried underneath the overgrown weeds etc! There are a number of missing edging concrete slabs, which will have to be replaced.

The down platform is also overgrown with plants and weeds. It also appears that it might be narrower than when the original platform was built, which may cause problems as we work to clear this platform. This may have been caused by erosion due to the building of the adjacent houses that have sprung up after the railway was built, and 2 tracks were laid.

Adjacent to the bridge, on the steps side, there could be evidence of the signal box foundations. This can only be confirmed after clearance and further examination. There could also be evidence of the foundation of the starting signal that appears in early photographs of the station. Again, this will have to be confirmed after the clearance work has been completed.

Future Plans

We are in the process of speaking to Dorset County Council about taking control of the station area of Spetisbury. We want to take the area that currently is overgrown with various plants and weeds, and as time permits, the platforms will be cleared and restored to how they were back in the days when trains were a regular sight along this part of the trailway. This will include the rebuilding of station buildings, to look the same or similar to the original ones that were erected before.

We plan to do this in the main using a volunteer workforce, but for certain tasks we will have to employ the skills of trained craftsmen.

It is with this aim in mind that we plan to establish an information point (with an associated shop / cafe where viable) on the station in these buildings. With its location, wonderful views across the Stour Valley and walks on the North Dorset Trailway, we believe that the station site at Spetisbury would be an ideal location for such a venture.

This clearance work once completed along with the rebuilding of the station buildings will potentially encourage more people to use the trailway as a means of leisure activities, and / or commuting away from the dangerous A350 road through Spetisbury. There will also be the possibility that people will use other facilities within the village, for example, they might want to have a meal and a drink at the pub. Or if coming from further afield, stop overnight in one of the local bed and breakfast establishments. Thereby bringing revenue to Spetisbury.

Our intention is to restore the station buildings as they would have appeared in the early 1950s. Externally they should be identical to the original designs, subject to modern health and safety and building regulations.

Internally they had a booking office, waiting rooms and toilets. We intend to set them up as they used to be, but we would like to set the waiting rooms up so that we have an information centre / shop. The information centre would be where people could get information about us, and the history of the original Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. We could also have information about the Trailway and surrounding area. In the shop, in addition to books, DVDs and souvenirs, we would like to sell hot and cold drinks, and light snacks for Trailway users. In the summer months when the shop etc is open, we may have some tables and chairs out on the platform, so that visitors can take a rest in the fresh air and enjoy a look across the Stour Valley whilst enjoying a cup of tea with a slice of locally made cake.

a new S&D - an unstoppable force!

This has come in through the comments section and I felt it needed a wider audience!

Further to comments of yesterday, I have watched my DVD (The Somerset & Dorset railway) where it shows clips of the past and the state sponsored vandals of 1967 (How I hate that era)destroying the S& D and interviewing the former staff, it showed how we have as a society really lost the plot when we allowed Beeching to destroy this wonderful line along with a good many other lines. The staff were not well paid however they had that family pride in what they did and there was none of the dreadful dehumanising of society that we read about today where it seems that is is me me me then me again to make sure and s@@ the rest of you Jack. Also the point that one lady came about living in Henstridge she now has to rely on someone to drive her about plus it takes 3 buses to go from Evercreech to Bath, some progress or what!!! This country needs to stop funding overseas aid, the EU and getting involved in other peoples wars and our so called leaders need to grow one, listen to the people and act accordingly. That way this country will become prosperous again with a happy population. I live in Torpoint in East Cornwall and have learnt that it can take a resident up to one hour to bus into Plymouth from Tavistock for work/shopping school etc, The faster steam trains could do it in half the time. So much for petrol heads etc! and their stupidity of the 60,. I was born in 1963 the tail end of the baby boom, did no one ever ask of the future twenty years later when we would all be left school etc. Thanks Beeching and Marples for the destruction of a proud line and system and society that was just and fair and decent. I look forward to a ride on the legendary S& D at Midsomer Norton, Gartell and one day Shillingstone and hopefully other locations as well. Compulsory purchase boy needs to be consigned to the dustbin of history like a dinosaur. To those of you who go out to these lines and voluntarily give up your precious time thank you for what you are doing, I hope it will fire up the younger generations into giving up virtual worlds and the shllow culture of celebrity that we seem to have to day. The real heroes to me are that generation who lived through two World Wars and endured the most appalling sacrifices and then had to rebuild our country 1946 onwards. People like the late Ivo Peters who must have spent considerable time and money with capturing the memories and images of the line and of course the S& D staff like the late Donald Beale. We owe it to them to rebuild the S& D and many other lines like it.

even Britain's least green city is starting to wake up!

Gloucestershire CCC backs campaign to re-open Ashley Hill station by commsofficer

 

MP Stephen Williams, TomRichardson, Gordon Hollins, Cllr Tim Kent

Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is backing a Bristol transport campaign that could result in the reopening of a train station where fans of the “father of cricket” WG Grace would disembark to watch him play in the mid Victorian era.

The Greater Bristol Metro Rail campaign would see the Ashley Hill station create a new link in suburban rail for the city and connect to the city’s major stations Parkway and Temple Meads – something the Club supports in conjunction with its plans to develop their Nevil Road ground only a few minutes’ walk away.

Representatives of the Club visited the old station site in Ashley Down with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) who were in Bristol to discuss progress on the Club’s new planning application.

If the plans get the go-ahead the County Ground would host national and international matches and want to attract more people to use public transport to arrive at the Ground. This would help to minimise parking on local roads as well as support a sustainable transport plan.

Tom Richardson, Chief Executive of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club (GCCC), said: “There are many good reasons for both the Club and local residents to want to have this station reopened and we fully support the Greater Bristol Metro Rail campaign’s efforts.

“Promoting public transport for match travel is an on-going focus for the Club. We benefit from good bus links on the Gloucester Road and make full use of park and ride on match days.

“We recognise that the major matches have an impact on traffic in the local area and as such are committed to looking at all the ways we can reduce this and bring benefits to residents as well.

“The fact that fans would disembark at the station to watch WG Grace is a great piece of local history and so it is fitting that we could also be a part of its future.”

Gordon Hollins, Managing Director Events and County Business at the ECB, said: “The ECB is fully supportive of ensuring a variety of public transport options for travelling to and from matches is available and this is particularly important when large crowds are expected.

“Creating a sustainable infrastructure for sport is of benefit to everyone and in one that has such a significant connection to cricketing history would be a great way for fans to travel to matches in Bristol.”

Stephen Williams MP said: “Bristol’s rail links are incredibly important to the city, and I believe that any decision to reopen Ashley Hill station will assist in supporting a more sustainable public transport system which could help to ease road traffic congestion.

“I am immensely pleased that Gloucestershire County Cricket Club (GCCC) are supporting this proposal, as it will undoubtedly appeal to many cricket fans who could benefit from its location.”

Cllr Tim Kent, executive member for Transport at Bristol City Council, said: “It is great to see GCCC and the ECB supporting this campaign to have more trains running more often in Bristol.

“It is vital that as our city grows and develops, our long-term vision for a greener and more effective way of travelling and our campaign really helps people get involved in this process.”

To find out more about the Greater Bristol Metro Rail campaign log onto http://greaterbristolrail.com/ where there is an e-petition calling for a better deal for Bristol’s railways amongst other ways of getting involved.

Any businesses or organisations willing to support this campaign will need to do so before the closing date of Saturday 31st March.

spot on

After a barrage of increasingly daft posts from Compulsory Purchase Boy tearing into the S&D and all the people working to bring it back (posted on to the CPB blog which is now a resource and tool for psychologists and mental health care professionals) it's very heartening to get a comment like this which is absolutely spot on!

Good to see extensions being built, this is a line I have yet to visit and wish to do so however I will do so after the extension is opened. Yesterday I visited the station site at Shillingstone whilst on the way home to Cornwall and was very heartened to see what the volunteers have achieved. Excellent effort all round. Well done to all. Whilst standing on the old down platform I had very pleasent chat with a local lady out walking her dog and asked her if she could remember the line before it closed and she said it would be lovely to see the trains return. I look forward to seeing miles of track laid and trains running one day. I have also just joined the SDHT and have enjoyed their excellent Telegraph Magazine.

Highest price of diesel seen so far £1.54.9 litre at Exeter services, thankfully I had filled up my car back on Monday before the stupidity of certain ministers came to the fore. I personally believe that boy racers etc days are numbered and indeed I was reading the latest edition of Railnews that my mother recieves (Late father worked for Southern Railway and BRSR) and was very heartened to read of the number of youngsters who are taking up railcards. The percentage increases are quite staggering when I consider that BR was considered to be old fashioned and railways were a thing of the past. The late Sir John Betejeman visited the S & D in March 1963 and he stated on his film that railways were not a thing of the past (the film is a video now return to Evercreech Junction and is very enjoyable. I also believe we need our railways back as the rebuilding of them plus maintenance and running them will give good work to young people and hopefully start to end the appalling rundown of our society. Beeching killed more than railways, he killed a way of life for many and prosperity for many.

Peak oil is here, we need to say goodbye to our love affair with oil and bring back the tried and trusted methods of those previous generations who built this country of ours-The S&D bought prosperity to many, it can do so again and will.

gartell

The Gartell Railway has published this poster which gives details of its running days in 2012. With their extension heading steadily northwards towards Templecombe this superb narrow gauge line has been really buzzing over the last few months.

serious matters

Dean Cockwell has been very busy setting up insurance for Spetisbury and Midford and his hard work is finally bearing fruit. This was an essential prerequisite to getting control of Spetsibury from DCC. He's come up with a good policy that will allow us to operate on multiple sites and have up to 20 volunteers working on each site. This gives us huge flexibility and will inevitably have us chasing up other sites to get our money's worth!

So Spetisbury should be launching very soon. There's already loads of interst as it's not far from the large conurbation of Bournemouth and Poole. So if you're interested in getting involved right at the start of what will be a very exciting project please contact our Spetisbury Project manager Dean Cockwell at deancockwell@ntlworld.com

The insurance isn't going to be cheap so any donations will be very welcome! We don't really want to load it on to membership fees. You can make a direct Paypal payment to SDRHTSales@aol.com or cheques are welcome. Please make payable to 'New Somerset and Dorset Railway' and post to New S&D, Insurance Donation, 10 Bellamy Avenue, Hartcliffe, BRISTOL, BS13 0HW. A member has kindly offered to underwrite the insurance in any case but would welcome extra donations!

I think we may be the first rail revival group with two separate stations in two counties, but I stand to be corrected. This means that four stations are now being revived on the S&D - such a turn round from a few years ago when the whole S&D was unnaturally quiet ...

mainstream

A few years ago Peak Oil was an obscure subject discussed by economists, oil industry experts and a few writers. Environmentalists HATED it and politicians ignored it.

How things have changed! Now suddenly it's on everybody's lips from Sky News to Nature Magazine, and everyday people are beginning to talk about it. The fuel 'crisis' is part of it, but it's deeper than that. Nobody now seriously expects the price of fuel to fall, kids aren't learning to drive like they used to and more and more people are doing without cars completely, because they know what is coming.

For a bit of a primer you could do worse than read the following (from Nature 2012) - which also makes the important link between energy and growth.

We've hit "peak oil"; now comes permanent price volatility

By John Timmer

Since 2005, the global production of oil has remained relatively flat, peaking in 2008 and declining since, even as demand for petroleum has continued to increase. The result has been wild fluctuations in the price of oil as small changes in demand set off large shocks in the system. 

In today's issue of Nature, two authors (the University of Washington's James Murray and Oxford's David King) argue that this sort of volatility will be all we can expect from here on out—and we're likely to face it with other fossil fuels, as well.

Limited supply

The notion of peak oil is a fairly simple one: oil is a finite resource and, at some point, we simply won't be able to extract as much as we had previously. There really is no getting around that limit for any finite resource. The issue that has made peak oil contentious, however, is the debate over when we might actually hit it. Murray and King are not the first to conclude that, even as the arguments were still going on, we had already passed oil's peak. Even though prices have gone up by about 15 percent per year since 2005, production has been largely flat.

The strongest argument against this being a real peak is the increasing volume of petroleum reserves reported by many countries. Even assuming those estimates were reliable (which the authors aren't entirely certain about), these reserves have clearly not enabled increased production. In the US, for example, production as a percentage of total reserves has dropped from nine percent to six percent over the last three decades. 

"We are not running out of oil," the authors argue, "but we are running out of oil that can be produced easily and cheaply." This creates significant delays before any of the new reserves can be tapped, and it limits the amount of oil that can be economically extracted from them.

Non-conventional sources like oil sands have the potential to contribute to the global supply but, so far at least, they haven't managed to do so; current production estimates indicate that they won't any time soon.

The struggle to mobilize supplies has taken place against a backdrop of falling production and rising demand. Most established sources of oil are seeing declines in the area of five percent annually. Given that decline, it will be extremely difficult to meet demands projected for 2030—in fact, we'd have to add the equivalent of our total current production. In a fit of understatement, the authors deem this "very unlikely to happen."

Economic impacts

What are the consequences of being stuck at or near peak oil? The authors have produced a graph showing that, while supply is elastic enough to meet demand, prices stay stable. Once demand consistently exceeds supply, prices swing wildly. Murray and King term this a "phase transition" and suggest we'll be in the volatile phase from here on out.

That has some pretty significant consequences. Of the 11 recessions the US has experienced since World War II, 10 have been preceded by a sudden change in oil prices. The US isn't alone, either. Italy's entire trade deficit, which has contributed to its financial troubles, can be accounted for by the rise in imported oil. The world, it seems, has allowed its economies to become entirely dependent upon fossil fuels. "If oil production can't grow, the implication is that the economy can't grow either," the authors write. "This is such a frightening prospect that many have simply avoided considering it."

And it's not just oil that poses problems. US coal production peaked in 2002, and the global peak has been predicted to hit as soon as 2025. The last time global coal reserves were evaluated, in 2005, the total was cut by more than half compared to previous estimates. Fracking has boosted the production of natural gas dramatically, but even here the authors find some reasons for concern. Recent reports suggest that shale gas reserves have been overestimated, and many fields that have been in production for a while have experienced large declines in production.

The commentary concludes that we simply can't rely on any fossil fuel to provide a stable and economic source of energy for more than a couple of decades. And, given the economic shocks that result from rapid changes in energy prices, that's a serious problem. "Economists and politicians continually debate policies that will lead to a return to economic growth," the authors note. "But because they have failed to recognize that the high price of energy is a central problem, they haven't identified the necessary solution: weaning society off fossil fuel."

This weaning will require a large deployment of efficiency measures, nuclear power, and renewable energy sources. All of this will take time, which is why efforts need to be started now, the authors argue. (Not mentioned, but equally true, is the probability that taking these measures will smooth out the impact of reaching peak fossil fuel production.) Unfortunately, since most governments are unwilling to admit the prospect of indefinite economic stagnation due to our reliance on fossil fuels, they've been unable to generate the political will to even begin these efforts. Murray and King clearly hope their commentary will help get the ball rolling.

that idiot beeching again ...

Nick Howes has sent me a link to the map which accompanied the notorious Beeching Report. Most of the lines shown here to be closed - including our own S&D - were indeed closed, but a few did survive, including many of the Cornish brances, the Exmouth branch, the East Suffolk line, the Cumbrian Coast line and the Central Wales line. I'd argue that the S&D was and is far more important than any of these routes and should not have closed even if it had found its way on to the Beeching Report. (Neither of course should any of the others listed ...)

On a lighter note Compulsory Purchase Boy has returned, I suspect he has an inset day at school! He now reckons that the 'people than run the world' will continue to drill for oil (which is now so expensive to find that it would be hard to find a market for it) and will also deliberately build on railway trackbeds to block lines reopening! Ah, the addled and conspiracy-theory-riddled minds of 14 year old boys - reality will come as such a shock to him in the coming decades!

With the school holidays now almost upon us I suspect we'll be getting a few more gems from the lad himself over the coming weeks!

right at the centre ...

Today's top two news stories couldn't be more apposite to us. Queues at filling stations because of a vague threat of a strike coupled with the withdrawal of two of the six companies that planned to fund and build new nuclear power stations in the UK.

FUEL

My views on unions are well known (!) so I won't engage with the politics, but on a more visceral level just look how ridiculous people are being, all selfishly rushing to grab something that they don't even need. If this is how we react when there's a tiny threat of a strike - and one that would have to give seven days' notice anyway - just how are poeple going to react when these sort of supply issues become endemic - as they soon will? This is the biggest Peak Oil eye-opener yet, and it's not pretty.

ELECTRICITY

My views on environmenalists are well known (!) so I won't engage with the wider issues, but from purely a transport perspective I would say that this rings the death knell of the electric car. We desperately need this extra generating capacity just to keep up with EXISTING demand, if we don't get the new nuclear stations you can wave goodbye to any surplus being available to charge up electric cars. Even with the new power stations we were probably almost certain to get power cuts by 2015 on a regular basis.

What both these stories demonstrate is the extreme vulnerability of the old energy order, where public perception, economics and  disinformation mix up together to cause disruption and uncertainty.

Worried? Just close your eyes and think of Midford (1950 or 2030)!

more track laid!

There's some great work going on down at the Gartell Railway with track now beginning to head towards Templecombe. The Gartell blog is an excellent source of information and this link will give lots more specific details of the work going on there.

There is also now a Gartell Facebook group.

It's great to see that the Gartell is giving the two established S&D standard gauge groups a run for their money!

spetisbury - website content welcomed!

This is from David Bailey, our webmaster.

Given that this project is taking off, I'd like to increase the amount of information we have about Spetisbury station on the New S&D website. Would someone like to volunteer to rewrite/expand the current text and submit a few more photos?

BML2

(Eridge 2.1.1973 copyright Rail Thing)

One of the craziest rail cllosures was that of Lewes-Uckfield in Sussex, a mad scheme to cut 8 miles of line and lose 2 stations but, most importantly, deprive the network of a genuine alternative route when the main Brighton-London line was blocked or suffering engineering works. It also created a new branch line, never a great idea economically or operationally.

Despite this line being clearly needed both then (1969) and even more so now they are STILL strugglling to get it open! It seems that this delightful part of Sussex still thinks its the 1970s.

The Uckfield line needs to reopen to Lewes, be double track throughout and electrified. There's no argument about this, just DO IT!

This is very relevant to us trying to get north-south modern transport in Somerset and Dorset as I suspect we will be in this position in a decade's time!

Latest from the people trying to get the politicians down Sussex way to accept 21st century realities.

South will stagnate without BML2

Source

• 
• 

Published on Monday, 27 February 2012 07:32

“There are many rail schemes, crying out for far smaller sums than HS2, which could offer a bigger impact pound for pound. An excellent example is BML2.”
- Christian Wolmar, Transport Writer and Broadcaster

Sussex railways are the most congested in the UK. Despite all Brighton Line trains being maximum (12 car) length in the next few years, demand is rapidly outstripping capacity. By 2020 even the longer trains – which will have less seating and more standing room – will be just as overcrowded as today.

Disruption on the Brighton Main Line (BML) will continue through train breakdowns, point failures, signalling problems, bad weather, accidents, suicides, engineering works, etc, etc.  It’s already impossible to run more trains, expand services to other towns, or offer passengers greater choice and much-needed alternative routes into London from the south.

Kent’s Tonbridge Main Line (TML), similarly described by Network Rail to be “a major barrier to growth”, is in the same invidious position. But between these two arterial routes into London is the former main line to Uckfield which, until 1969, ran directly into Brighton and into Tunbridge Wells. It is no coincidence that the BML and TML are now in serious trouble. The absurdly under-used Uckfield line is perfectly capable of being a main line once again and relieving both its neighbouring overloaded lines. It is a classic example of all that is wrong with short-term transport policy in England.

The blame rests squarely with Government intransigence. The Uckfield line is restrained by single-line sections due to ‘rationalisation’ in 1989 – approved by Mrs. Thatcher’s Transport Minister, Michael Portillo. This misguided attempt to avoid a growing backlog of track maintenance costs restricts the route to providing just a half-hourly service. Similarly, the stubborn refusal to electrify the 25 miles south of Oxted to Uckfield, let alone reinstate the seven miles to the coastal network, is another example of the Government seriously failing the south.

The Government is perfectly aware of how embarrassingly successful rail schemes have proved. Both Scotland and Wales have benefited enormously in the past decade. Every reopening and upgrade has far-exceeded the pessimistic passenger demand assessments.

Even the limited peak hour services running on the Uckfield line are now busier than they’ve ever been. Commuters have to increasingly stand in aisles, perch in luggage compartments, or drive elsewhere, but it’s pretty much the same everywhere. Some commuters head to Haywards Heath and other BML stations where they can park and have more frequent services. But railheading concentrates overloading and the BML can’t support any more trains – it’s a full-up railway.

Everyone seems to agree, train operators included, that more trains need to run between the Sussex Coast and London, as well as Tunbridge Wells and London to relieve the equally congested TML. Because the Government, the Department for Transport and Network Rail between them will not promote expansion of the south’s rail network, things can only get far worse as we head for stagnation.

The Government will not order any more new diesel trains to ease the crush. It won’t electrify, nor will it redouble the Uckfield line, even though it’s a trifling sum in transport budgets. It’s an unworthy don’t care attitude and a do-nothing transport policy. No vision, no ideas, no plan, no growth – and no hope.

Station parking at Uckfield hardly exists (approx 13 spaces) so commuters drive to the next station, Buxted, where they overspill into village streets and lanes. It is the same story at Eridge where most of the 220-plus cars park at crazy angles along the verges. At Uckfield, adjacent residential roads are clogged up. Nearby, the extensive goods yard and former station site has lain derelict for 20 years. This belonged to BR’s Property Board, now a ‘wholly-owned subsidiary of the Department for Transport’ – i.e. the Government. It has a price tag of between £3m - £4m but the Government says it wants the money from selling it to a developer – for housing.

Attempts to use the land for commuter parking have been consistently frustrated, not least by East Sussex County Council which will publicise plans in mid-March for a new road built across the trackbed as part of this development. A sop to commuters is the promise of a few public parking spaces (Network Rail discovered it was 38). This is for a town of 13,000 people. The site should be imaginatively developed for a proper double-track/two-platform station with multi-storey parking, an integrated transport hub with, most certainly, a new road, but one which includes a bridge over the railway. But this requires vision, good planning and consideration for the future.

This week it was announced that another 1,000 new houses will be built in Uckfield....

Network Rail told Tunbridge Wells Borough Council “Unfortunately High Speed One doesn’t put any more track into Tunbridge Wells.” It certainly doesn’t, but BML2 does. BML2 means reopening the Uckfield main lines into Tunbridge Wells and to Lewes, plus a new direct connection into Brighton and Falmer – the only way of relieving the Brighton Line. It is not just a reasonable and realistically affordable scheme, but one which supplies all the capacity the south needs. It also has practical solutions for opening new routes into London, new cross-connections and unlocking massive and exciting opportunities for future growth right across the south east as part of further Thameslink expansion.

But it seems the Government isn’t interested and won’t even listen to the case for BML2.

Instead, its preferred option is to attempt stifling demand by imposing punitive fares for travelling in the high peak hour. It’s an attitude which smacks of they’re only commuters after all and can’t do anything else but cough-up if they want to get into work.

Railways play a tremendously important role in the South East – outside as well as inside Greater London. Stifling growth and selling-off valuable assets for a mere pittance is not a transport policy.

It is no way to run a railway, let alone a country.

S&D telegraph no 39

Midsomer Norton's excellent Telegraph (no 39) has just arrived. It's to the usual very high standard and shows their new DMU on the cover. This is always an excellent read and doesn't have pages of adverts to reduce the content!

Sad news is that Julian Jefferson is stepping down as editor. It's Julian's design skills that have really given the Telegraph its classy image, as well as his excellent photos. Hopefully he'll still be submitting! I first met Julian on a sponsored S&D walk many years ago starting at Combe Down and ending at Midford, before walking back to the start point. He's always been very hands on (working with the Sunday gang for example) as well as creative.

There is of course still a vacancy at the New S&D for a magazine editor! We need somenoe who can bring a 24 page magazine together twice a year, mainly so that distant members (and we do have members all over the world) get something for their membership fee. You'll  have a real opportunity to influence the look and feel of the New S&D. You'll get loads of support from the existing management team, as well as plenty of copy from me!

If you are interested (and this does include you Julian!) please email leysiner@aol.com

letter to government

Committee member and Wessex Links Ltd director has just fired off this excellent letter to Justine Greening, Minister of Transport. Perhaps all of us that are desperate for the S&D to return should follow his example?

Rt Hon. Justine Greening MP

Secretary of State for Transport

Department for Transport

Great Minster House

33 Horseferry Road

LONDON

SW1P 4DR                                                                                         22 March 2012

Last week I had to make a round business trip to Bath from my home near Bournemouth. I was horrified to find that there was no satisfactory way of making this journey by train so I had to drive. The round trip took me five hours at an average speed of 31 mph. This slow progress was not just due to traffic density but mainly the fact that there is no decent road link along this common route. Apart form a few mainly single carriageway bypasses, the roads have not really changed since the Second World War. So I had to struggle over this increasingly third world road network filling the air with my expensive exhaust fumes; and yet one relatively simple solution sits there, apparently ignored.

Until the mid 1960’s there was an excellent rail service between Bournemouth and Bath/Bristol, the Somerset and Dorset Railway. This was one of the many lines closed by the now infamous Beeching cuts, despite the fact that it was a socially important and profitable main line.

Remarkably and fortunately, 95% of the old track bed still exists. Of course some of the bridges have been removed and small parts of the track bed have been built over but most of the civil engineering infrastructure is there and could easily be reused. Compared to grandiose controversial schemes like HS2 and motorway construction, the reinstatement of this railway would be relatively simple and cheap with enormous transport benefits. With the economic Armageddon of “peak oil” staring us in the face it is well established that the most energy efficient way of transporting goods and people is by electrically powered metal wheels on metal rails. Yet we grind on with our love affair of road transport whilst simultaneously penalising people for doing so via the tax system; and this is supposed to be a transport policy?

Incredibly, there is an organisation dedicated to the reinstatement of this valuable rail link, The New Somerset and Dorset Railway, and a holding company, Wessex Link Ltd, set up to administer this railway if it can be revived. Yet this is a tiny organisation with very small resources that would probably take decades to achieve its stated ends. We in this country do not have decades! The Prime Minister has already made it clear that he does not think our transport system is fit for the purposes of a 21^st century competitive western economy and your colleague Norman Baker MP has publically stated that it is a well-established Liberal Democrat policy to reopen many old railway lines. Our inadequate transport system is starting to seriously hold us back economically just at the time when out economy needs all the help it can get.

Of course, not all the pre Beeching cuts lines needed to have been kept open, but many should have been and now desperately need to be reopened, including the Somerset and Dorset line. The project would obviously first require an engineering and business feasibility study, but whilst this is totally beyond the means of the embryonic New Somerset and Dorset Railway, this would be relatively small beer to the Department for Transport as well as falling under the remit of what the Department should be addressing.

I have seen you interviewed on television a few times in recent months and you have made some sensible, non-partisan decisions. Consequently I would urge you Minister, in contrast to the usual partisan slogans we have endured from previous governments, to initiate something that will make an impact and a huge practical difference to the lives and businesses of the people in Dorset, Somerset and Avon; look at reopening the Somerset and Dorset Railway, preferably in a time frame measurable in months rather than decades. We need it and, if we are to compete in the modern world, time is short.

fantastic opportunity!

This is the approximate view from the garden overlooking the garden.

This from Nick Howes.

The station masters house behind Midsomer Norton stables is up for sale for £279,000 as he is moving to Cornwall.

This is a once in a generation opportunity for an enthusiast or board member to acquire an extra piece of land to help towards potentially safeguarding MSN. Please pass this email on to anyone you know who may have the capital for such an outlay.

spetisbury - preparing for take off!

Dean Cockwell, Spetisbury Project Manager, has posted the following to the Spetisbury Facebook Group.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED!

[It will] not be very long until we are given access to the Spetisbury Station site to return the platforms to their former glory. For this, we need volunteers to help clear the weeds and rubbish that has grown up on the platforms. I already have about 10 names, who I will be contacting by e-mail, just in case they have not read this post. As I get more news, I will pass it on, and I am hoping that things will start moving faster than they have to date.

To contact Dean please email deancockwell@ntlworld.com