Wiltshire gets government transport cash
Wiltshire Council has successfully bid for Government funding to help boost railway services and improve stations in the county.
The Department of Transport announced today Wiltshire Council will get £4.25m to boost the economy and encourage people to use sustainable transport.
The funding, which is a mixture of capital and revenue, will be targeted to create more regular services between Swindon and Westbury.
The money will also fund improvements at a number of stations, help synchronise bus services with train connections and provide secure cycle areas among other improvements.
Cabinet member for highways and transport Dick Tonge said: "We are delighted that we have been successful in securing this Government funding which will make a positive improvement to our rail services in the county.
"Improved train services and better access to stations will mean less people using the car and a boost for local businesses as the county will have even better transport connections. This grant is seed money to get the service started, the long term success of this project will depend on the number of passengers using it. We will be entering negotiations with the rail company as soon as we have the details of the grant from the Government"
The money was announced today by the Department of Transport to support local authorities in delivering local economic growth while cutting carbon emissions.
Nationally a total of £266million has been allocated. Some of the schemes are much larger than Wiltshire's, for example Bristol got £24m.