• Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
• Tuesday November 19 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

New Swindon-Taunton rail service UK’s to be first run by a co-operative

A new rail service which aims to give GWR a run for its money has been given the go-ahead to operate a new service by Britain’s railway regulator The Office of Rail and Road.

Go-op, which is owned by its workers and passengers, has spent over ten years developing a route to connect poorly served stations in the west country.

It is the first time a co-operative has been given licence to run a rail service.

The direct services between Taunton and Swindon call at towns such as Frome, Melksham and Castle Cary which have for years had little more than two-hourly service, and provide valuable connections which will also open up new opportunities for travel for residents of Yeovil, Dorchester, Salisbury and Bridgwater.

Go-op chair Alex Lawrie said: “For the first time, rail passengers have come together to propose their own package of improvements to rail services.

“It’s fantastic news for Somerset and Wiltshire where for many years trains have just passed straight through – towns like Taunton, Frome, Melksham and Chippenham will really notice the difference.

“This proves that innovation on the railways isn’t reliant on decisions in remote boardrooms or Whitehall offices, but can come from ordinary people.”

The ORR’s approval is critical because it means that Network Rail must now allocate sufficient time on the railway for the services to operate.

A collaborative process involving Network Rail, Go-op and other operators in 2022 established the technical feasibility of the route, and the new timetable adopted in the area from May 2023 includes ‘paths’ that could be filled by the Go-op trains.

Go-op hopes to be running trains from December 2025.

Go-op director Martin Bond said: “We’re going to be training a group of new train drivers, fine tuning the timetable and establishing a new control centre for the route.

“We’ll need to plan the refurbishment of suitable rolling stock, including additional action to reduce carbon emissions, and review safety on level crossings that will now have many more trains passing over them.

“Building a train operating company from the ground up isn’t a simple task, and we are determined to get it right.”

David Northey, who was formerly a Network Rail strategic manager for the western region and is now vice chair of Go-op, said “There have been rails linking Taunton and the west country to the central hub of Swindon for over a century, but as a route it has been neglected.

“The railways shouldn’t be all about travelling to and from London – places like Chippenham, Trowbridge and Taunton are important settlements in their own right and their local economies can get a real boost from being better connected.”

Go-op proposes to finance its scheme without any public subsidy, instead using a mix of loans and crowdfunded investment.

Members will have the chance to invest in ‘community shares’ – a form of equity investment that focuses on steady returns, a blend of social and financial reward, and broad-based, democratic management.

Pictured: Alex Lawrie and Kate Whittle of Go-op at Taunton station