One of the team members behind Devizes's future station has spoken of the three 'main aims' for the service moving forward.

The town is the largest in the county without its own personal set of working rails for the public, a problem that the Devizes Development Partnership (DDP) have been working to change.

The Department for Transport (Dft) have now agreed to fund a study into the potential for a new rail station called Devizes Gateway, which about 3.4 miles from Devizes Market Place, close to Lydeway.

A feasibility study into the rail station is well underway, and now a survey has been launched to understand the views of people and businesses across the Devizes Community Area.

It will help formulate plans which, if all goes to plan, means a working railway station could be nestled just outside Devizes by 2025.

Residents from Devizes as well as the wider Wiltshire area have been encouraged to share their views and potential travel habits.

Tamara Reay, of the DDP, said: “There were about 60 bids for the DfT’s Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund and Devizes was one of 10 to be selected.

“Since then, we’ve been working with Wiltshire Council on how best to move forward and are about to appoint consultants for a study into how exactly it will work.

“Feedback from the public will help us understand the sort of demand people have, and where people want to go.”

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It is expected that there would be an hourly service from Devizes Gateway, travelling east to Pewsey, Newbury, Reading and London and west to Westbury, for connections to the South West, Bath, Bristol, Salisbury and beyond.

The DDP are focusing on three main aims in the project, which they hope in turn will help improve Devizes as a whole.

It is hoped more young people will be able to live in Devizes, with better access to employment opportunities in other towns, as well as a possible train service to college or university classes in Bath, Bristol or Trowbridge.

The DDP hope the train line will promote Devizes as an attractive place for businesses and, in conjunction with other developments such as the Devizes Assize Court refurb, encourage more tourists to visit the town in the future.

The survey can be found at www.devizes.org.uk.

DDP are targeting 2025 for the construction work to be completed and for Devizes Gateway to open to the public.

Meanwhile, a similar funding bid to the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund, to look into a new Corsham train station, was recently unsuccessful.

It had been hoped that £50,000 bid from the fund would allow for further research conducted toward restoring services to the Great Western mainline including a new station at Corsham, Royal Wootton Bassett and East Swindon.

Wiltshire Times: Michelle Donelan has hit out at the rejectionMichelle Donelan has hit out at the rejection

Michelle Donelan MP said: “The fight is not over. Officers at Wiltshire Council worked hard to complete the submission and I firmly believe there remains an extremely strong case for the reopening of Corsham station.”

“I look forward to continuing the work on this project in the new year and continuing to lobby the DfT.”