Bideford to Barnstaple rail project sparks fears of another HS2
A local councillor has warned that plans to reinstate a railway link between Bideford and Barnstaple should be treated with caution following the costly delays of the government's HS2 project, adding that the scheme will be “difficult to achieve”
The government’s controversial and problematic HS2 rail project should be a warning to those looking to bring back a railway link between Bideford and Barnstaple, says a leading Torridge councillor.
Claire Hodson (Ind, Westward Ho!) said she could not endorse something that was going to be “so costly and difficult to achieve” and could involve impacting the area’s greatest tourist asset – The Tarka Trail walking and cycling route – which the rail line would run alongside.
The project is being championed by rail groups who want better transport infrastructure to link the North Devon town with Exeter and beyond.
But Torridge councillors remain divided over the plan, which has to go through a range of business cases costing millions of pounds before the government will consider it.
At a meeting of Torridge District Council’s external overview and scrutiny committee on Wednesday some members said it was good to “dream big” and there would be financial benefits and opportunities from a railway, estimated to cost between £400 million and £500 million to install and take 13 years to come to fruition.
But Cllr Hodson, who is deputy leader of the council, reminded members that, unlike other rail restoration projects, there was little trackbed left along the original route (most of it was paved over for the Tarka Trail) so it would be “starting from scratch”, there were flood zones and she questioned what would happen through Instow.
“I understand dream big are but are you going to move the whole of Instow village back a bit to get train in?” she said, adding that with all the problems that HS2 unveiled it should be looked at with caution.
The multi billion pound high speed rail project to link The Midlands with London has suffered from ballooning costs, logistical problems and delays.
Committee chair Cllr Huw Thomas (Green, Bideford East) said he felt that the council was being “steamrollered” into supporting the rail link.
He said three years minimum of constructing a railway line alongside the Tarka Trail would “cause a huge impact on it regardless of what state it is left in afterwards”.
And he questioned where people coming from all the towns and villages around would park as the proposal was to use the existing Bideford Railway Station which had limited parking
Cllr Wendy Lo-Vel (Green Northam) said the area was so poorly served by road and rail and needed something better: “We still do not have a dual carriageway, it is pathetic, anyone wanting to go anywhere has to time it so they do not get caught in a traffic jam around Barnstaple. It’s no cost to us to support the rail link plan.”
And Cllr Doug Smith (Lib Dem, Great Torrington) said the plan should not be dismissed as there would be “a lot of Instows” during the full project and he had been encouraged by the success of the reinstatement of the Okehampton to Exeter passenger services which had regenerated the town “immensely” together with a multi million rail link plan between Okehampton and Penzance being explored by Cornwall Council .
The committee has recommended to full council that rather than finding quicker ways for residents to travel to Exeter and beyond for education, work, healthcare, social activities etc, TDC should look at ways to develop and improve facilities within the Torridge and wider North Devon area.
It also supported concentrating on “cheaper and more immediate options” to rail such as investing in a fast coach service linking Bideford with Tiverton Parkway and/or London.