Purbeck Community Rail Partnership

The Purbeck Community Rail Partnership has been working since 1997 to re-establish a regular passenger rail service from Swanage to Wareham.

A number of steps need to be completed before a service is established, with funding in place to bring these to fruition.

In 2010, Purbeck District Council and Dorset County Council committed £3.2million for re-signalling improvements and other work needed between Wareham Station, Worgret Junction and Swanage Railway's existing signalling system at Corfe Castle. This work is part of Network Rail's 2013 Poole to Wool re-signalling scheme.

BP also contributed £500,000 towards works at Norden Level Crossing. This was a legacy donation to the community when the oilfield was sold to Perenco UK Limited.

Swanage Railway has been awarded a £1.47 million government grant from the Coastal Communities Fund. This successful bid will help provide the finance to enable the refurbishment of rolling stock and improvements to the infrastructure.

Swanage Railway's grant, together with the funding from Purbeck District Council and Dorset County Council and BP, means that the operation of a limited service in 2015/16 is now a realistic proposition.

Dorset County Council has underwritten Purbeck District Council's financial commitment the signalling work. The funding has been raised through the Purbeck Transportation Strategy which aims to improve movement around the district, taking traffic away from the congested A351 by using alternative forms of transport. The Strategy is funded by contributions from development.

Enabling a rail link between Swanage and the mainline meets Purbeck District Council's priority to "help all people access services locally".

History

British Railways closed the passenger railway from Wareham to Swanage in January 1972. In 1997, after much local enthusiasm to restore the link, the Purbeck Rail Partnership was formed to support its re-opening.

Progress

Progress made by the partnership, includes:

The purchase of trains by Dorset County Council, capable of refurbishment to current mainline standards
The completion of track-laying between Furzebrook and the current terminus of the heritage railway at "Motala" near Norden. This has enabled movement of rolling stock between Swanage and the national network, which culminated in the first passenger charter trains since 1972, in 2009
The successful installation of signalling and track alterations to enable the bay platform at Swanage to be used, in due course, for Wareham passenger services
The underwriting of costs by Dorset County Council for a study as part of the Poole to Wool Re-signalling Scheme, advising on re-signalling to meet passenger standards
Completion of a new Swanage Railway signal box at Corfe Castle which is designed to enable Swanage Railway signallers to liaise with their Network Rail counterparts when sending trains between the two networks
The commencement of negotiations between Dorset County Council and Network Rail to purchase the track bed from Motala, near Norden, to Worgret Junction
The commitment of £3 million by Dorset County Council and Purbeck District Council for re-signalling work at Worgret Junction and Wareham

The Partnership

The Purbeck Community Rail Partnership is an alliance between Purbeck District Council; Dorset County Council; Network Rail; Borough of Poole Council; Perenco; South West Trains and the Swanage Railway.

Business Plan

The Business Plan (pdf, 176kb) (opens in a new window) sets out how the Partnership is proposing to achieve the aim of operating a Swanage to Wareham amenity service. It is a living document which will continue to develop as the rail connection progresses.

Minutes

The Partnership meets on a quarterly basis. Unapproved minutes of the Partnership's meetings are presented to members of Purbeck District Council at the following council meeting. So, for example, the unapproved minutes from the April 2013 Partnership will be taken to the next Council meeting to be received by councillors. They will be accessible in the Agenda papers for Purbeck District Council's Committee Meetings. These minutes will the be taken to the July Partnership meeting for approval. When approved, the minutes will be available from this page.