Ten projects successful for Restoring Your Railway funding are revealed

The Government has revealed that ten bidders for the first round of the Ideas Fund have been successful in their application for funding to enable them to progress their proposals towards developing a business case.

It comes after MPs, local councils and community groups across England and Wales were invited to propose how they would use funding to reinstate axed local services and restore closed stations.

This funding is split into 3 categories to ensure we can support different projects at different phases of development. The 3 categories are:

• the Ideas Fund, to restore rail services (other than rail station creation or restoration)
• accelerating existing proposals, to increase development of a previously submitted rail proposals
• proposals for new or restored rail stations

The bids that have been successful in this first round of the Ideas Fund are:

• reopening Meir Railway Station between Stoke-On-Trent and North Staffordshire
• passenger services on the Barrow Hill line between Sheffield and Chesterfield
• passenger services on the Leicester to Burton (Ivanhoe) line
• reinstatement of branch lines on the Isle of Wight
• reinstatement of passing loop between St Albans Abbey and Watford Junction (Abbey Line)
• reopening of Wellington and Cullompton stations
• passengers services on the Bury-Heywood-Rochdale lines
• regular passenger services on the Clitheroe to Hellifield railway line
• reinstatement of rail access to Devizes via a new station at Lydeway
• passenger services on the Totton-Fawley (Waterside) line

Next steps for successful Ideas Fund projects

Officials will contact the lead promoter of successful schemes to agree the definition of the concept and the train service specification, agree a work plan and discuss work towards the study and building the business case. Departmental officials will work with you as the study report develops. This study will be the first step in developing more detailed proposals and obtaining funding for a project’s delivery.

Applicants that have not been successful will be offered further support by the department, to help them develop their application for consideration in a later round or to access funding another way.

Future Ideas Fund funding rounds

The June 2020 funding round is progressing with the deadline for full applications by 19 June 2020. There will be a third funding round in November to enable as many communities as possible to take advantage of the support provided.

Accelerating existing proposals

The Government says it is making funding available to accelerate the development and delivery of schemes that already have existing business cases. This will use the standard government assessment framework and DfT officials will support applicants in progressing projects.

Funding may also support newer schemes that already have supporting analysis and are seeking a larger sum of support to progress to an outline business case.

If you have a scheme that you believe fits these criteria click here for advice on the next steps.

Note the government assessment framework does not rely only on benefit cost ratios (BCRs) and strong strategic cases (for example regeneration) with low BCRs may be considered.

Proposals for new or restored stations

A New Station Fund competition is currently receiving applications.

The competition is being run by Network Rail and closes on 5 June 2020.

The core criteria will be similar to previous rounds:

• the business case should demonstrate reasonable value for money — the DfT classification of medium value for money will be used as a comparative indication, this includes the strategic case — for example, unlocking housing
• the proportion of third party match funding available (minimum 25%) and the security of match funding achieved at the time of the bid
• the expected quantity of new rail income generated from station/on-going subsidy required
• ability to timetable services effectively and likely impact on other passenger transport benefits
• minimised passenger disruption during project delivery

Click here for more details.

Photo credit: Nagmar/Shutterstock

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