Gideon Amos MP has expressed his “absolute delight” that the Wellington and Cullompton Stations project has been given the go-ahead.
The scheme was thrown into doubt after the government scrapped the ‘Restoring Your Railway’ programme last summer.
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, failed to mention the scheme in her Spending Review yesterday (Wednesday), leaving campaigners fearing the worst.
But Mr Amos then spoke with Treasury officials to press the case for funding and was told that “the Spending Review also provides funding to support the reopening of stations at Wellington and Cullompton.”
The official added that “further details will be set out shortly.”
Mr Amos and his fellow Liberal Democrat MP, Richard Foord – whose constituency covers Cullompton – have been heading up calls for the stations to be given the green light.
Their campaign included taking Wellington residents to Parliament to confront the Rail Minister and forging a new cross-party group of MPs in support of the project.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” said Mr Amos. “It’s brilliant that all the hard work and campaigning by local residents, standing side by side with Richard and me, has finally paid off.
“For the cost of around £42 million, £180 million of economic growth will now come to our region.
“There is no other rail project in the south-west that is ready to go and could be built and completed in the next two years, as the project is so far advanced.
“In fact, had it not been for the review in July last year, the spades would now be in the ground and the platforms under construction, because the contract was about to be let and the detailed design was almost finished.
“To give the project the go-ahead was a no-brainer, but it’s been a long battle - first begun in Parliament by my Lib Dem predecessor as MP, Jeremy Browne.
“It’s great news for Wellington, Cullompton and the South West as a whole."
Mr Foord said: “It has been a long campaign over many years, with hundreds of people determined to secure this historic outcome.
“Working alongside my Liberal Democrat colleague, Gideon Amos MP, we have raised this issue at the highest levels of government, making a strong case to the Chancellor, the Transport Secretary and the Rail Minister.”
He added: ““I would like to congratulate the many members of the community who have been pressing for this outcome. They should enjoy the fruits of their hard work today.”
The Mayor of Wellington, Cllr Janet Lloyd, described the announcement as "fantastic news."
She added: “Huge thanks to all of those who have worked hard to deliver this project and lobbied on our behalf, in particular most recently Gideon Amos MP."
Mr Amos pressed the case for funding the stations in Parliament again last week and Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, in response recognised Mr Amos’s campaigning and thanked him for it.
Mr Amos also quizzed the Chancellor during Spending Review questions yesterday afternoon before later receiving confirmation that the stations would at last be reopened.
