Spend millions on opening up New Forest railway lines, urge public transport campaigners

A SHARE of £4.8bn of government funding should go towards reopening the Waterside railway to passengers and even building a new link between Brockenhurst and Ringwood, a transport campaign group has urged.

A report published by the national Campaign for Better Transport called for the 10-mile line between Totton and Fawley to have £27m spent on it to carry people again – 53 years after it closed to non-freight traffic.

It also listed as a lower priority “feasible” project, building a new line between Brockenhurst and Ringwood, although it admitted that would require changing local circumstances such as major new housing developments.

The Waterside line carried oil to and from the Fawley refinery until 2016 but is now only used for transporting goods to Marchwood.

The publication said: “This freight-only line should be converted to also offer passenger services to Southampton, reducing air pollution and relieving pressure on congested roads adjacent to the New Forest National Park.”

It admitted there were “concerns” over the potential impact through competition with local bus and ferry services.

Passenger services on the local route have been raised locally by Fawley Waterside Ltd, the consortium behind the 1,500-home plan for the former power station.

Totton and Marchwood councillor David Harrison has been campaigning to reopen the Waterside railway to help ease queues on the busy A338 – sometimes labelled the longest cul-de-sac in the country.

Cllr Harrison said: “I am really pleased that the Campaign for Better Transport have produced this report and identified the Waterside railway line as having such good potential to re-open for passenger services.

“They seem to understand the economic, environmental and social benefits of the project. This is the sort of organisation that the government listens to.”

He added: “It now needs Hampshire County Council to get off the fence and express support for the campaign, in line with just about every other organisation with an interest in transport issues. To this end, I am pressing the county council leadership, including questions at full council.”

A project assessment in 2013, commissioned by HCC from engineering consultants Halcrow Group Ltd, concluded that passenger services could be developed for a “relatively modest” investment – but that demand was “not sufficient”.

The Waterside route was among 33 top priority new lines identified by the campaign, including 72 stations, that it claimed would allow an additional 20-million journeys a year.

Up to 6,500 jobs in construction and engineering would be safeguarded or created, it said, and 1,650 new railway jobs.

Darren Shirley, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “The government should invest in a nationally led programme of expansion of the railway to help disadvantaged communities and tackle regional inequalities; reduce carbon emissions and air pollution; and create better and healthier places to live.”