Plans to resume regular passenger train services from Wareham to Swanage need £3m by the end of the month, or the project could be delayed indefinitely.

The funds are needed to pay for essential track and signalling work, which would enable services to run.

The investment needed represents a significant step in the long running aim to restore the service, which was withdrawn in 1972.

Dorset County Council is seeking funding from central government.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/dorset/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8513000/8513078.stm

Network Rail’s Poole to Wool resignalling scheme presents a unique and un-missable opportunity to reconnect the signaling for the former Wareham to Swanage branch line at an affordable cost. The Poole to Wool scheme will be delivered by the end of 2012, and if the resignaling to the branch line is carried out at this time, if will cost in the region of £2.5 - £3.0 million and be delivered by the end of 2012. If this opportunity is missed, the cost would be significantly greater and the branch reconnection is likely to be delayed, for around 50 years. The cost of branch line signalling as a standalone job would be astronomical.

Therefore we need to write to Jim Knight MP to encourage him to put pressure on central government to find the funding.

Write to Jim at his constituency office:
79 Lynch Lane
Weymouth
Dorset
DT4 9DW

Write to Jim at the House of Commons:
House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA

Send Jim an email:
jimknightmp@parliament.uk

This transport link is absolutely vital towards connecting Purbeck and getting people out of their cars and off the already congested roads.