DEADLINE EXTENDED TO SECURE £3 MILLION RE-SIGNALLING FUNDING CRITICAL FOR WAREHAM TO SWANAGE TRAIN SERVICE
News Item and Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 9th March 2010
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
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The first London to Swanage steam train enters the Swanage Branch at Worgret Junction on 2nd May 2009. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright
The deadline has been extended for the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership to secure a £3 million funding pledge so vital re-signalling work can take place - enabling a permanent train service to run from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage for the first time since 1972.
If a funding promise is now not found by the end of April - it had been the end of February -
the long-held aim of the Swanage Railway, since the branch line was controversially closed and
lifted in 1972, will be scuppered with the next opportunity not presenting itself for 40 years when
the cost will be far greater.
Swanage Railway volunteers are urgently appealing to the more than 4,000 members of the award-winning
heritage line - as well as the general public - to lobby Members of Parliament, candidates in the forthcoming
general election as well as central government and statutory bodies to find and commit to the £3 million funding.
The £3 million is needed by the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership to pay Network Rail in increments
during 2011 and 2012 for the re-signalling and other works at Worgret Junction, just over a mile west of Wareham.
The first Swanage to London train at Worgret Junction on 1st April 2009. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright
The junction is the start of the Network Rail line to Motala, just east of Furzebrook, and the start of the
Swanage Railway tracks to Corfe Castle and Swanage.
Network Rail plans to re-signal the main London to Weymouth line between Poole and Wool during 2012 and if
Worgret Junction is re-signalled at the same time it will cost only £3 million. If the junction is
re-signalled at a later date, could cost up to £10 million.
Mike Whitwam, of the Swanage Railway, said: "We are very grateful to Network Rail and pleased that it has
been able to give the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership a two-month extension to the end of April 2010.
Mike Whitwam of the Swanage Railway at Corfe Castle. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright
"That new deadline will hopefully be sufficient to allow the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership to identify
sources of funding and commit to paying Network Rail the £3 million during 2011 and 2012 as it
progresses with its main line re-signalling project," he explained.
The Swanage Railway contributes some £10 million a year to the Purbeck economy with a permanent train
service between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage set to increase that local benefit.
And analysis by several independent consultants over recent years has shown that there is public demand for
such a train service to be re-instated.
Mike Whitwam explained: "This is a once in a generation opportunity to have Worgret Junction re-signalled for
just £3 million and right the wrong of 1972 so a regular train service can again run between Wareham,
Corfe Castle and Swanage.
A special ballast train of 18 Seacow-class ballast hoppers hauled by
DB Schenker Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive No 66031 crosses the viaduct at Corfe Castle.
The special working from the main line at Wareham carried 1000 tonnes of ballast for relaying of track at Herston on 21st January 2010. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright
"We and our partners on the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership are devoting resources and energy to success,
not failure but we only have until the end of April to secure a pledge for the money which would be paid to
Network Rail in instalments during 2011 and 2012 for the re-signalling work.
"The Purbeck Community Rail Partnership and the Swanage Railway are working hard to try and secure the funding
pledge - and have been for almost a year - but it is proving difficult because of the reduction in budgets by
central and local government as a result of the squeeze on public spending.
"Our eleventh hour appeal is aimed primarily at central government and statutory bodies - perhaps even any
millionaires or National Lottery winners who would like to help give the people of Purbeck back their train
service between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage," explained Mr Whitwam.
Network Rail requires a commitment from the other members of the Purbeck Rail Partnership, including Dorset
County Council - the transport authority for the county - by the end of April 2010 to ensure the re-signalling of
Worgret Junction takes place during 2012.
Swanage Railway volunteer Roger Stewart-Hindley pauses from building work and samples a future signalman's view of BR Standard No 80078
passing Corfe Castle station's new 'Victorian' signal box on Sunday 26th July 2009. Photo Andrew P.M. Wright
If the £3 million is not found, the Swanage Railway will continue to accept occasional charter passenger
trains and other special workings, such as visiting locomotives and track maintenance trains.
But, those charter trains and other special workings will be in jeopardy when the existing infrastructure at
Worgret Junction, dating from 1976 and the closure of the Victorian signal box built in 1884, comes to the
end of its operating life and needs to be replaced.
The Swanage Railway is not contributing to the £3 million as it continues to invest a substantial amount -
in the region of £500,000 - on improving its track and infrastructure to allow regular trains from Wareham
to Corfe Castle and Swanage in addition to the heritage steam train service which carries 220,000 people a year
between Norden park and ride and Swanage.
That development work includes a new signal box at Corfe Castle station which will interface with the new Network
Rail signalling centre at Bournemouth.
Formed during the 1990s with the express intention of restoring passenger services between Wareham and Swanage,
the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership discussion forum is made up of the Swanage Railway, Dorset County Council,
Purbeck District Council, Network Rail, South West Trains and the Borough of Poole.
Last month, February, the Swanage Railway, Network Rail and South West Trains recently gave a joint presentation
about the £3 million re-signalling scheme being the key to unlocking a re-instated permanent train service
between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage to members of Purbeck District Council's policy group.
Purbeck Community Rail Partnership members also met in Wareham last month, February, to further consider how to
secure the £3 million funding pledge.
Online resources:
More details about Swanage Railway services are available from
or
by calling 01929 425800.
Supporters of the initiative have set up the following social networking resources:
A Facebook "fan" page at
A Blog page at
A Twitter Feed a
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