The Devizes Gateway Station scheme aims to create a new railway station serving Devizes, improving rail connections for residents, businesses and visitors.

Status and next steps

Following central government’s withdrawal of the Restoring Your Railway programme in 2024, which helped fund early development of the scheme, we are continuing to work with partners to progress the proposal.

Our immediate priority is to develop a business case for reopening Westbury’s Platform 0, which would enable an hourly service from Westbury to London Paddington (via Devizes), a key strategic requirement to support the case for a new station at Devizes.

Scheme timeline to date

2020

In May 2020, working with the Devizes Development Partnership (DDP), we secured funding (up to £50,000) from the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund to develop a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) for Devizes Gateway Station.

In addition to the DfT grant, funding was used from the Devizes Area Board, relevant Section 106 agreements and our own budgets.

A SOC is the first stage of the DfT’s business case process. It sets out the case for change and how it supports local and national priorities, as well as considering the initial economic, financial, commercial and management business cases.

2021

Following discussions with the DfT, the SOC was developed and submitted to the DfT in early November 2021.

Read the SOC: Devizes Gateway Feasibility Study: Strategic Outline Case (October 2021) (OpenDocument text format, 28 MB)(opens new window)

Read the letter accompanying the SOC: Devizes Gateway Strategic Outline Case Support Letter (November 2021) (OpenDocument text format, 432 KB)(opens new window)

2022

The DfT Restoring Your Railway Fund supported development of the scheme to the next stage, instructing Network Rail to lead an interim feasibility study, working with us and other local partners including the DDP.

The study found that a station at Devizes would require wider rail improvements across Wiltshire.

Read the study: Network Rail: Devizes Gateway feasibility study (March 2023)(opens new window).

2024

Progress on the scheme stalled after the DfT Restoring Your Railway Fund was withdrawn by central government.

The DfT still considers funding for the construction of new stations on a case-by-case basis but there is no dedicated funding available for project development, the costs of which can be significant.

Network Rail’s Wiltshire Rail Strategic Study, published in 2024, concluded that the station could be served by a new hourly London Paddington to Westbury service, but only if the disused Platform 0 at Westbury was reopened.

Read the study: Wiltshire Rail Strategic Study (PDF, 2 MB)(opens new window).

2025 to 2026

Working alongside Western Gateway Sub-National Transport Body, we commissioned Network Rail to undertake a feasibility study for Westbury Platform 0.

The outcome of this work has been positive and we are now seeking to complete an economic appraisal and develop the Strategic Outline Business Case for funding.

The Corsham Station scheme aims to reintroduce a railway station at Corsham, improving rail connections for residents, businesses and visitors.

Status and next steps

Following central government’s withdrawal of the Restoring Your Railway programme in 2024, which helped fund early development of the scheme, we continued to work with partners to strengthen the case for Corsham Station.

In early 2026, the DfT indicated that the Strategic Outline Case (SOC) submitted in 2022 had been viewed favourably but would need to be updated before the scheme could be considered for any future funding opportunities.

Our immediate priority is to update the SOC with Corsham Town Council. We expect to complete this by early 2027 and will publish the updated SOC when it is ready.

Scheme timeline to date

2021

In October 2021, working with Corsham Town Council, we secured funding (up to £50,000) from the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund to develop a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) for Corsham Station.

A SOC is the first stage of the DfT’s business case process. It sets out the case for change and how it supports local and national priorities, as well as considering the initial economic, financial, commercial and management business cases.

2022

The SOC was developed and submitted to the DfT in mid-November 2022. In addition to the DfT grant, funding was provided by Corsham Town Council and our own budgets.

News release announcing the SOC submission: Corsham Station plans on track as council submits business case – Wiltshire Council (November 2022).

Read the SOC: Corsham Station Feasibility Study: Strategic Outline Case (OpenDocument text format, 12 MB)(opens new window).

2024

Progress on the scheme stalled after the Restoring Your Railway Fund was withdrawn by central government.

The DfT still considers funding for the construction of new stations on a case-by-case basis but there is no dedicated funding available for project development, the costs of which can be significant.

2025 to 2026

We continued working with partners including Corsham Town Council, Sarah Gibson MP, Great Western Railway and Network Rail to strengthen the case for Corsham Station.

In early 2026, we received feedback from the DfT indicating that the SOC submitted in 2022 had been viewed favourably but would need to be updated before the scheme could be considered for future funding.

We are now working with Corsham Town Council to update the SOC. We expect this work to be completed in early 2027 and will publish the updated SOC once it is finalised.

If the Strategic Outline Case is approved by the DfT, the next stage would normally be development of an Outline Business Case (OBC), which considers design, planning, access and consultation issues in more detail.