Tower and Town, June 2019 (view the full edition)A Railway Reborn? Or Stillborn?Restoring a rail link to Marlborough would solve many local problems. Bus cutbacks have restricted transport options for the young, the elderly and those without cars. More traffic on the roads has led to worsening congestion, air pollution and parking problems. Great Bedwyn's car-parking capacity is over-stretched as it tries to accommodate rail travellers. Transition Marlborough (TM) began working up ideas for the rail link scheme in 2013. The proposal seemed practical and appeared to meet government funding criteria. Following this initial work TM consulted with our MP, our Local Enterprise Partnership and Great Western Railway in order to secure funding for a feasibility study. It transpired that the scheme could only move forward if it had the declared support of Wiltshire Council. After a series of inconclusive meetings, the responsible member for Wiltshire Council was invited to a meeting of Marlborough Town Council in 2018. At his meeting he made it clear that Wiltshire Council would not support the feasibility study, effectively killing the scheme.  John Yates |