Plans to reinstate Waterside Railway suffers blow as Chancellor Rachel Reeves announces cuts to transport schemes

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to reinstate the Waterside railway have been dealt a major blow after the government announced it was considering scrapping funding for the scheme amid a raft of cuts.

As reported, Network Rail confirmed it was looking at the possibility of resuming passenger services twice hourly from Totton to Marchwood and Hythe, with the potential to carry on to Fawley.

Hopes of bringing the nine-mile branch line, which was closed to passengers in 1966, back into service were further boosted after £7m in funding was allocated in the 2021 budget by then chancellor Rishi Sunak.

However, last week the new Labour chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a raft of cuts to government programmes and policies to plug a projected overspend of £22b.

Among the transport projects to be axed includes the Restoring Our Railways Scheme, which it is said will save £85m; although individual projects will be assessed.

Louise Haigh, the Secretary of State for Transport, said in a statement: “In recent weeks, the gap between promised schemes and the money available to deliver them has been made clear to me.

“There has been a lack of openness with the public about the status of schemes – some of which were cancelled or paused by the previous government, without proper communication to the public.”

She outlined her intention to commission an internal review of the DfT’s capital spend portfolio, with recommendations to be made about current and future schemes.

District Cllr Malcolm Wade, leader of the Lib Dems, said the decision was “hard to understand in our local context”.

He added: “Currently, residents sit daily in queues on the A326. The current round of roadworks, with bus lanes going nowhere and lights installed, will just make things worse. Locally the road is known as the longest cul-de-sac in southern England.

“This decision does nothing to uphold Labour's green agenda. Giving people an alternative to car travel is fundamental to reducing carbon – an aim shared by all parties.”

He continued: “The consultation with the public to gauge opinion on its reintroduction met with huge approval [and] the scheme had already reached its strategic outline business case and was being supported to develop further.

“As public finances ease, we will continue to lobby government for a reversal to this ill-thought out and short sighted cut.”

Fellow Lib Dem, Cllr David Harrison, who represents Totton and Marchwood, has been a staunch campaigner for the reopening of the railway.

He told the A&T: "The decision by the new Labour government to review much of the £500m Restoring our Railways Scheme will likely be a body blow to many of the schemes that were being looked at up and down the country.

“It is, of course, a worrying development for the plan to reinstate the passenger service along the Waterside. However, the hope is that it might be one that survives and the government decides to invest in, simply because much of the existing infrastructure is in place and it would have such obvious economic and environmental benefits."

The plans were previously publicly backed by a range of local public figures including Lord Montagu and TV historian Dan Snow. Local landowner Aldred Drummond – the then boss of Fawley Waterside Ltd, which was behind plans for 1,500 homes at the old Fawley power station site – also supported the move.

As reported in the A&T, the Fawley Waterside scheme was withdrawn last month after Mr Drummond resigned as a director and the plans were deemed no longer viable.

A public consultation by Network Rail in 2022 saw more than 80% of respondents backing the railway proposals. Out of just over 1,500 responses, 84% said the scheme offered "an improved public transport offering for the Waterside area".

However, objectors to the scheme previously raised concerns over the the cost, impact on existing bus and ferry services, lack of car parking at Hythe and Marchwood stations, and disruption at level crossings, such as at Totton and Marchwood.

New Forest East MP Sir Julian Lewis also previously raised concerns that reopening the line could prejudice funding for improving the A326.