The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced 10 successful bidders for the first round of the Ideas Fund to support the development of plans for rail reinstatements.
Announcing the 'development funding' transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said: 'If they stack up, then we’re going to build them fast.'
The bids that have been successful in this first round of the Ideas Fund are:
- reopening Meir Railway Station between Stoke-On-Trent and North Staffordshire
- reinstatement of the Barrow Hill line between Sheffield and Chesterfield
- reinstatement of the Ivanhoe line
- reinstatement of branch lines on the Isle of Wight
- reinstatement of the Abbey line between St Albans Abbey and Watford Junction
- reopening of Wellington and Cullompton stations
- reinstatement of the Bury-Heywood-Rochdale lines
- reinstatement of the Clitheroe to Hellifield railway line
- reinstatement of rail access to Devizes via a new station at Lydeway
- reintroduction of passenger rail services on the Waterside line
The DfT will fund 75% of costs up to £50,000 for the proposals to help fund transport and economic studies and create a business case. Future funding to develop projects would be subject to agreement of the business case.
The second funding round is progressing with the deadline for full applications by 19 June 2020. There will be a third funding round in November.
There is also a New Station Fund competition currently receiving applications. The competition is being run by Network Rail and closes on 5 June 2020.
Details and application information for the New Station Fund can be found here.
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