Rail travel boost for Frome

Rail travel in Frome could get a boost from a train operator proposing a significant addition to the rail timetable from summer 2022.

The proposal from GO-OP – an independent co-operative society – to provide passenger routes between Bishops Lydeard in Somerset (a station on the independent West Somerset Railway, not currently served by the main or connecting lines) and Swindon, will “significantly” increase the volume of services at Frome by up to a quarter.

The service will provide an additional 11 departures a day from Frome – six additional northbound services, with three to Westbury and another three connecting the town beyond Westbury to Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon; and five services southbound connecting the town to Bruton, Castle Cary and Taunton.

GO-OP’s operations director, Alex Lawrie, told Frome Times, “It really is sad that Frome has been quite neglected over the years, just having the one platform. We’re going to really make full use of that station, and have trains calling there much more frequently. As much as a quarter as many services – adding six calls at Frome northbound, and five calls a day southbound. 

“It’s quite a significant increase in the number of opportunities to get on the rail network at Frome.

“And there are all the interchange opportunities at Westbury – you can go to Salisbury, Bath, Swindon, indeed our trains will go three times a day all the way through to Swindon from Frome. So people in Frome will notice quite a significant improvement.

“And one thing that I think is particularly important is – Frome and Taunton. A lot of people will live in Frome and work in Taunton, and vice-versa, and at the moment rail travel between them is all but impossible.

“We are adding just enough connections that you can put together four or five good return trips a day, between the two towns. And I think that will make quite a big difference.”

Discussions between GO-OP and the West Somerset Railway (WSR) could also lead to a scheduled daily service linking the national rail network, via Taunton, to the heritage railway at Bishops Lydeard for the first time in 50 years. 

Passengers will be able to change there for leisure services to Minehead.

“The West Somerset Railway has always encouraged train operators to run trains to connect with the very popular heritage steam trains that run from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead,” said a spokesperson for West Somerset Railway. “We are at an early stage and will continue discussions as GO-OP resolves the many issues involved in running on the national network.”

The announcement follows the conclusion of capacity tests by Network Rail which have established that there is capacity on the network to introduce GO-OP’s services. The next step will be a performance analysis to ensure that as the trains approach Swindon there will be no risk to the punctuality of other operators.

“We have been working towards this point for many years since we first began meeting as a group of frustrated rail travellers”, said GO-OP’s operations director Alex Lawrie, “and for a while it looked like the pandemic might be one challenge too many. 

“We are very grateful to the volunteers and staff of the West Somerset Railway, and to the many rail industry experts, who have enabled us to bring forward proposals that actually exceed our original ambitions in many ways.”

However, GO-OP’s plans to connect Frome to the West Midlands – which Frome Times reported on in 2019 – with a train service going as far as Nuneaton, via Oxford, Leamington Spa and Coventry, have been put on hold.

GO-OP’s chairman, Martin Bond, told Frome Times, “We were hoping to run a service through to the West Midlands but unfortunately the line east from Swindon to Didcot and on to Oxford is so congested we were unable to find a way through. 

“It is, however, still an objective. In the meantime we are starting with this truncated service to provide at least part of our aspiration.”

For more information about GO-OP’s plans, visit their website: www.go-op.coop