Plans to build a new railway station in Wellington in Somerset may be scrapped, which could lead to millions of pounds being wasted, according to local MP Gideon Amos. He said that the money already invested, including land purchases and infrastructure work, will be lost if the project is cancelled and underlined the financial benefits the station would bring, the BBC reports.
This follows the Government’s decision last year to pause the plans for building the station. Gideon Amos, the Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton and Wellington, told the BBC: “Millions of pounds have gone into it already.”
The station was meant to open at the start of 2006 but its funding was halted in July.
The Government decided to scrap the “Restoring Your Railway” fund, a £500m initiative launched in 2020 to revive closed stations, due to a £22 billion budget overspend inherited from the previous Government.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves reassured that projects already underway, including the £15 million Wellington station, would still proceed.
However, MPs Gideon Amos and Richard Foord raised concerns at the time that the Department for Transport had not confirmed its commitment to this.
A total of £6.2 million has already been invested by local councils, and £1.6 million more is reportedly required in order to complete design work.
The MPs have said that the delay would be a mistake and that the project is vital to local growth with Mr Amos previously telling the House of Commons that it would bring a whopping £3.3 million to the local economy .
A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson told the BBC: “The Government inherited an extremely challenging financial position, and these projects will be subject to the upcoming Spending Review.”
The DfT sait it was committed to improving transport infrastructure to support nationwide growth and opportunity.
