'Exciting next step' for Corsham railway station plans

Plans for a new railway station in a Wiltshire town have taken a step forward after a council submitted its business case.

It is hoped that the station in Corsham, which currently has no rail access, will help reduce reliance on cars and improve connections.

Wiltshire Council's Dr Mark McClelland called the submission of the plans an "exciting next step".

He said the station would bring "prosperity, jobs and economic growth".

The proposed two-platform station, which could cost up to £15m, would be situated on the Great Western Main Line, with services to London, Bristol and Reading.

Wiltshire Council's business plan was submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) in partnership with Corsham Town Council, MP Michelle Donelan and other local stakeholders.

The council said the station would improve transport links to key destinations, provide better access to jobs and services and help to reach its 2030 net zero ambition.

Corsham Town Council chairman, Councillor Steve Abbott, said he was "delighted" that the business case had been submitted.

"The case for the station is looking very positive and we eagerly await the outcome," he added.

Ms Donelan said she had been "pushing and pushing" for the project to happen and had helped secure £50,000 of funding from the DfT to develop the business plan.

"Our case for a station is very strong and I will keep on banging the drum for Corsham Station at every opportunity," she added.

If the project passes all business case stages, it is estimated that work could begin in 2026 with a view to making it operational by 2028.

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