Back the campaign for a train station for Devizes

What is it?

The Devizes Gateway Station is a long-held aspiration since 2012, though the journey has not been smooth.

This project would see a two-platform station built near Lydeway on the existing rail-line between Pewsey and Westbury. There would be a footbridge with lifts, and I am in conversation with the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (previously known as sustrans) about planning a cyclepath from Devizes to the station, potentially along the historic rail-line.  It received support from the Department for Transport (DfT) in the Restoring Your Railways fund, but this fund has since disbanded.  

In 2021, Devizes Town Council submitted a Strategic Outline Business Case and in 2023, a feasibility study indicated the case for the station was strong as part of wider regional rail improvements. This would include an extra platform at Westbury.

More recently, in 2024, Devizes Gateway received backing in the Wiltshire Rail Strategic Study, giving it regional priority.

 
Why is it important?

A rail station near Devizes would help in so many ways. It could:

Promote tourism

- Making it easier to travel to Devizes and its surrounding villages makes the area more appealing, and people can spend time visiting local attractions and business.

Improve sustainability

- Having a station closer to home reduces the journeys taken by carbon-emitting cars.

Reduce road congestion

- With more trips taken by rail, fewer vehicles will be on the road.

Boost the local economy

- Rail connectivity encourages investment into the town and makes it easier for local people to travel to jobs and education further afield

That is why I will keep pushing in Parliament and meeting with relevant bodies to maintain the case for a Devizes Gateway station. 

What now?

Friend, this is where you come in.  

I am running a petition to help demonstrate the local support for the station. While this is a long campaign, that may not see results until the next decade, we are on the right track. We need to keep up the pressure so that the project is not dismissed again.

Please, sign my petition above so that you can also receive future updates from me on the status of the campaign.

Exciting times are ahead of us, and I will keep pushing this campaign (alongside others across the constituency) with your support. 

Rail Update from Brian - 08/08/2025

Recently, I’ve been involved in some promising discussions about the future of transport in our part of Wiltshire and I wanted to take a moment to share what’s happening, and how it could benefit all of us.

You may have heard about the proposal for a Bath & Wiltshire Metro - a regional rail improvement plan that’s starting to attract interest from local stakeholders and the rail industry. The idea is to make better use of existing lines, with some modest upgrades, to allow for more regular services through towns like Melksham, and potentially new stations at Corsham and Devizes.

Nothing is set in stone yet, and there’s still a lot of work to do. But at a recent meeting I organised in Melksham, we looked at how small but targeted changes, such as platform reinstatements at Westbury and Chippenham, a passing loop at Melksham, and some remodelling at Thingley Junction – could make a ‘Metro-style’ rail service possible.

The aim would be to improve frequency to two trains per hour through Melksham, which would be a step forward for both residents and businesses. Rail experts involved in the conversation made clear that, while it won’t happen overnight, these changes could be delivered in stages and without huge new infrastructure, which makes it far more realistic.

Alongside this, we discussed how transport links could support gentle, well-planned housing development - the kind that fits in with existing communities and reduces reliance on cars by focusing growth near train stations.

Of course, improvements like these will need funding, planning, and broad community support. One option on the table is using developer contributions via land value capture. A similar model was used on the Northumberland Line, where a freight-only line has been repurposed for passenger traffic, and there’s also potential for backing from the National Wealth Fund. But again, we’re at the exploratory stage.

One positive step is that a new train operator Go-op has received regulatory approval to run a new service between Taunton and Swindon, including stops in Melksham. Subject to Go-op securing investment in level crossing upgrades, this could happen as early as next year, which would give our area a useful boost in connectivity.

I’ll continue following this closely and working to make the case for practical, deliverable improvements to our public transport. Not grand schemes, but the kind of changes that can make a real difference to people’s daily lives.