A funding bid to look into a new Corsham train station has been unsuccessful.

Corsham town council said it is disappointed the Wiltshire Council submission to the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund was not picked up.

The £50,000 bid would see further research conducted toward restoring services to the Great Western mainline including a new station at Corsham, Royal Wootton Bassett and East Swindon.

The Ideas Fund, which is one part of the Restoring Your Railway scheme, would have funded 75 per cent of the project up to £50,000. It was estimated the research would cost around £60,000.

The remaining amount would have been covered by Wiltshire Council and Corsham and Royal Wootton Bassett town councils.

According to Cllr Abbott, while a socio-economic case was presented to the DfT there were difficulties which needed addressing.

Chairman of Corsham town council, Steve Abbott said: “Further feedback from the DfT suggests that the bid would be better directed to the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline process.”

There were 51 applications for the funding, according to Cllr Abbott and it is not known how many were successful.

The proposal would introduce new stations to improve rail access, support the local economy and reduce environmental impact through sustainable transport.

Additionally, this would increase travel in the region and improve connections in Wiltshire with East-West Rail and routes to the Midlands and the North.

The study itself would look at services to identify a range of services and the infrastructure improvements that would be needed, an updated prediction of demand, costing on infrastructure needs and the economic benefits.

The Corsham town council will now be working with Wiltshire Council to move the project forward in the coming months.

They will also be working with Network Rail and other bodies, within the council developing a Local Transport Plan Rail Strategy during 2021 and 2022.

Cllr Abbott said: “The argument for Corsham having a railway station is still strong and this was never going to be a quick process.

“Our town team working group will meet early in the new year to review the situation and continue to press the case.”