MP calling for update on proposed Somerset train station
Sarah Dyke MP writes to Transport Secretary calling for an update
After waiting two years, a Somerset MP is calling on the new Government to finally make the decision on calls for a new train station.
In her first week back in Parliament, Sarah Dyke, the Liberal Democrat MP for the new constituency of Glastonbury and Somerton, wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport urging for an update on a proposed railway station for the area and calling for a meeting to discuss the project.
Plans for one serving Somerton and Langport were submitted two years ago - and have still not had a response.
The stations were closed in the 1960s under the beeching cuts - and are now the longest stretch of the track - between London and Cornwall - without a stop.
In the last Parliament, Sarah Dyke, who was then MP for Somerton and Frome, repeatedly pushed for progress on the proposed station, including in her first Prime Minister’s Question. She called on Rishi Sunak to “provide confidence” in the project and give an urgent update on the business case.
"Much-needed boost"
In a statement the MP said: “I know how much this train station matters to the people of Langport and Somerton.
"As soon as I was back in Westminster, I made it a priority to get in touch with the Secretary of State for Transport and request a meeting.
“A new station for the Somerset Levels would give more than 50,000 people easy access to the rail network, provide a much-needed boost to the local economy and reduce our reliance on cars.
“People in the Langport and Somerton area deserve an update from the new government and I hope to meet with the Secretary of State for Transport very soon to discuss the project with her.”