Local transport group welcomes proposed improvements to Westbury rail services

A local transport group has welcomed the publication of the first stage of a Wiltshire-wide railway study, which proposes potential improvements to Westbury Station and rail services.

The Wiltshire Rail Strategic Study, led by Network Rail in collaboration with partner organisations and stakeholders, outlines recommendations to develop rail services that will support Wiltshire’s future growth. 

The key recommendations for Westbury include the provision of a fourth platform at Westbury station, which, along with a passing loop between Trowbridge and Chippenham, will enable a more regular hourly service to Swindon. These improvements would facilitate hourly services to London and the Heart of Wessex line, which will serve Frome and extend to Yeovil.

Graham Ellis, director of TravelWatch South West, said, “The provision of a fourth platform at Westbury is a high priority in the report, as is a passing loop on the single line between Trowbridge and Chippenham. Together, these two improvements will enable the passenger service to Swindon – currently thin and irregular – to become a regular hourly service.

“The extra operational platform at Westbury will also allow services to London to be recast, again running every hour, serving all stations to Newbury (including a new one near Devizes, which is a slightly lower priority), then Reading and London,” Graham added.

“Covid was a huge hit on public transport but we are recovering well. Climate and environmental concerns mean that we need to move much more to a frequent and reliable public transport service as we’re seeing outlined by this report.  And the 80% uplift to an already aggressive expansion of housebuilding in Wiltshire that’s being applied by this government can only promote the provision of joined up public transport to avoid our towns and other roads being even more clogged than they already are.”

Looking ahead, Graham envisions significant improvements to the rail network, including electrification of the line and better local connectivity. “By the next decade, I hope to be travelling by train from my home in Melksham on an hourly service that crosses platforms at Westbury. I will be able to change seamlessly between trains heading to Swindon, Oxford, Weymouth, Cardiff and Portsmouth.”

He added, “We also expect an electric bus service from the station to the town centre, the West Wilts Trading Estate, and residential areas, all coordinated with train times.”