Richard Foord MP welcomes Cullompton station announcement and calls for timeline

Liberal Democrat MP, Richard Foord, has welcomed an announcement that Cullompton railway station will be reopened after more than 60 years.

The news will be a relief for many who campaigned for years - including members of Cullompton Town Council and the former MP for Tiverton and Honiton, Neil Parish.  It should see the reopening of two stations on the Exeter-to-London line at Wellington and Cullompton.

Richard Foord said:
"Successive MPs who have been elected to represent Cullompton have campaigned for years for the re-opening of the railway station in the town. I am proud to have built on the work of Neil Parish as the MP for Tiverton & Honiton by co-chairing the Board that brings together Network Rail, Great Western Rail, and Mid Devon District Council.

“I have been pleased to champion the cause in Parliament, since my election as MP for Tiverton & Honiton, and I am delighted that it seems the Government in Westminster has given way under the pressure of local campaigners.  I would like to thank those people who did not give up on the project – including those from Cullompton Town Council, who have been very invested in it.

“I very much welcome the announcement today that Cullompton railway station will re-open, something which many of us living in the area have demanded for a long time. However, the question - given that it has been at concept, planning and feasibility stages for over a decade now, is … when?!  When will we actually see spades in the ground and the reconnection of Cullompton to the rest of our rail network?

“The Government must give a timeline on construction work, so that the station opens as soon as possible.”