Swindon Borough Council leader David Renard has published an open letter to the Secretary of State asking for Swindon to be included in a major railway infrastructure project that could attract a significant financial boost for the town.
The letter to Chris Grayling MP welcomes the publication of Connecting people: a strategic vision for rail which outlines plans to restore a direct rail service between Oxford and Cambridge - and suggests that extending this investment to include Swindon would help meet the government’s policies on house building, industry, and economic development.
The letter adds that Swindon Borough Council had previously also submitted investment proposals to the National Infrastructure Commission, to enhance capacity on the Swindon-Didcot Parkway line, provide a new, high-quality commuter rail service between Swindon and Oxford via Grove, and to re-build the railway station in Swindon.
“These proposals, which centre on making greater use of the rail network, would not only help open up the area east of Swindon for much-needed homes (serving both the Swindon and Oxford housing markets) but the new station would also provide the opportunity for large-scale town centre brownfield house building. This would also boost town centre regeneration and capitalise on Government investment in the electrification of the railway and in new trains.”
The letter, which was co-signed by Coun Oliver Donachie cabinet member for the Economy and Skills and Coun Garry Perkins, cabinet member for Regeneration, ends with an invitation: “We are happy to meet you and your officials at your earliest convenience to explain in more detail how investing in enhanced rail and transport links to Swindon will help to achieve government’s policy goals.”
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