Purbeck District Council has confirmed its support for the reconnection of Swanage to the mainline rail network.
Following last week’s commitment by Dorset County Council to the £3 million project for the reconnection, the District Council today gave its support as part of the Purbeck Transportation Strategy.
This now gives the assurance that funding is in place to commence re-signalling works.
Councillor Beryl Ezzard, Housing and Social Issues Spokesperson, Purbeck District Council, said: “The proposal helps to underpin one of the targets set out under the Council’s priority of ‘Helping all people access services locally’. It has been a long journey to get to this point, but we can now progress to once again linking the district by rail, which will have enormous benefits for residents, commuters and visitors, and relieve congestion in the district.”
Dorset County Council will now confirm to Network Rail that the reconnection will be included in the Purbeck Transportation Strategy.
Network Rail is seeking confirmation by 30 July that the £3m will be available for the re-signalling of the Wareham to Swanage branch line at Worgret Junction. Dorset County Council gave its commitment on 21 July 2010, as transport authority, but needed Purbeck District Council’s guarantee to support the proposal as part of the Purbeck Transportation Strategy.
The aim of the Purbeck Transportation Strategy is to improve movement around the district, taking traffic away from the congested A351 by using alternative forms of transport. The Strategy is funded by contributions from development.
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