South Western Railway (SWR) has announced a £1.5million investment in 58 local community projects across its network, including here on the Isle of Wight.
Projects that benefit local communities by improving their surroundings, as well as their residents’ quality of life, are just some of those awarded funding from SWR’s Customers and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF) round for 2023/24.
£46,000 has been made available for improving facilities at Smallbrook Junction for passengers connecting between the Island Line and the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. This includes Customer Information Screens and power and lighting using solar power and biodiesel.
In total, 58 schemes have been awarded CCIF funding, and when combined with the additional match funding that 35 of the projects have also confirmed, a little over £3million is set to be invested in these important community projects.
Peter Williams, SWR’s Customer and Commercial Director said:
“At South Western Railway we are always looking for ways to support the local communities our network serves, and the Customer and Communities Improvement Fund plays a vital role in this by funding schemes that will provide very real benefits for people in towns and villages across our network.
“We’re delighted to help bring these projects to life and we look forward to seeing them completed and flourishing.”
Steve Backhouse, General Manager of Isle of Wight Steam Railway, said:
“We’re delighted to receive support from South Western Railway’s Customer and Communities Improvement Fund, which will really benefit passengers connecting between our two railways at Smallbrook Junction.
“Creating a station powered by green energy, and encouraging visitors to arrive by public transport, will also play a useful role in improving our environmental sustainability.”
Now, if the steam trains ran into Ryde St Johns and thence to Sandown/Shankin, that really would be a tourist atraction. No doubt there are sound technical reasons why they can’t. Or maybe it’s just a question of monoply rights?
The feasibility study was abandoned when the mainline changed hands.
It would be awesome to reconnect the two lines. Although as far as I know the steam don’t fit in the tunnel anymore??? So only go up as far as Ryde St Johns. But would be cool if possible to see some steam going up to the other end. Once a week. I bet it’ll cost a lot to do.
Just allowing steam to reconnect Sandown and Shanklin would make it a fabulous tourist attraction.It doesn’t need to use the tunnel, just allowing an extension to the steam line could see people travel from Wootton to the Sandown and Shanklin seaside by steam train once more.
Call me cynical if you like, many I am sure will, but I hope this seemingly benevolent investment in Island tourism isn’t actually a bit of a publicity trojan horse? Maybe SWT are banking on that and environmentally cataclysmic Pennyfeathers development actually being built and see this as an investment for profitable future use of that station to service the new properties?
By 2030 the plan for net zero is to get motors off the road, hence such
development.
The route from Ryde to Shanklin needs to open up to the IoW steam railway via a junction at Smallbrook. ScotRail allows a steam run between Fort William and Malaig which is booked to capacity every summer season. In fact I think it is now a scheduled steam service. God knows why South Western Railway doesn’t see the money-s[inning opportunity a likewise tourist attraction presents to the Isle of Wight.
Perhaps it doesn’t want to encourage fossil fuel burning trains , I think we should have a LEZ on the island!
The public is relaxed about ‘fossil fuel-burning trains’, as am I. As to an Island LEZ – no way. Any councillor attempting to copy Khan would be politically lynched.