A BID has been made for £137,000 of Government funding to show how the West Somerset Railway (WSR) could be permanently linked to mainline train services in Taunton.

A strategic outline business case (SOBC) has been submitted by a partnership involving WSR and Somerset Council suggesting scheduled train services from Taunton to Bishops Lydeard could be restored.

The SOBC supports the long-term sustainability of the loss-making WSR, which is one of Britain’s premier heritage railways and with 20 miles from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard, is the longest in the country.

The partnership wants funds to prepare a full business case for the project, which would include local consultation on the final proposals.

Approval of a full business case would trigger the reintroduction of scheduled trains between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard, with the scope to operate some services in future all the way to Minehead.

Capital proposals in the SOBC were said to be ‘relatively low-cost’, requiring some infrastructure enhancements on the WSR line between Norton Junction and Bishop Lydeard, which ‘can be implemented quickly’.

However, the SOBC also identified an ‘initial revenue funding gap’ that would need ‘to be bridged by external funding’.

The WSR’s latest financial accounts to the year ending March, 2024, showed the railway was operating at a loss of more than £8,000 a week, with its losses for the year more than double that of 2023.

The SOBC has proposed developing Bishop Lydeard as a park-and-ride hub for commuters and tourists, to offer easier access to train services and with plans for a year-round service possibly with an hourly timetable co-ordinated with local bus services.

It has been put together in conjunction with Great Western Railway and Network Rail, and has received strong backing from local MPs Rachel Gilmour and Gideon Amos and tourism and heritage organisations in West Somerset and Taunton.

The proposals align with the council’s strategic aims to improve social mobility and access to education and employment for local communities.

There would also be an important part of a wider transport agenda to reduce car usage and promote environmentally sustainable options to contribute to Somerset’s carbon net zero goal.

Somerset Council executive Cllr Richard Wilkins said it would be a significant step toward boosting local transport choice and preserving heritage.

Cllr Wilkins said: “We are excited about the potential of this project to provide a significant transport link to our local communities and while doing so preserve a vital piece of our heritage.

“This initiative will enhance connectivity, support our environmental goals, and contribute to the economic vitality of the region.”

WSR chairman Jonathan Jones-Pratt said: “We are extremely grateful to the team who have developed and supported this project.

“We await the opportunity to develop the final business case and if successful this will play a key part in the West Somerset Railway’s future.”

The WSR is just 16 months away from being able to celebrate its 50th anniversary, with its first passenger train having run in March, 1976.