Medway Council gets funding for Hoo/Sharnal Street station

[telstarbox]

Has anyone heard any news on the Hoo station?

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @telstarbox to provide an update.

 

[SargeNpton]

This Railway Gazette article from April 2023 is the last update that I am aware of...

Cost increases kill Isle of Grain passenger service proposal

UK: Plans to reintroduce a passenger service on the freight-only Isle of Grain branch on the Hoo Peninsula have been put on hold, with Medway Council citing 'high inflation, significantly increased construction costs and pressures on public spending'. In 2019 Housing Infrastructure Fund support...

www.railwaygazette.com

Plans to reintroduce a passenger service on the freight-only Isle of Grain branch on the Hoo Peninsula have been put on hold, with Medway Council citing ‘high inflation, significantly increased construction costs and pressures on public spending’.

 

[zwk500]

This Railway Gazette article from April 2023 is the last update that I am aware of...

Cost increases kill Isle of Grain passenger service proposal

UK: Plans to reintroduce a passenger service on the freight-only Isle of Grain branch on the Hoo Peninsula have been put on hold, with Medway Council citing 'high inflation, significantly increased construction costs and pressures on public spending'. In 2019 Housing Infrastructure Fund support...

www.railwaygazette.com

Well, that comes as little surprise unfortunately.

 

[duncombec]

Not only has the plan for the rail service been withdrawn, the entire Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) funding was withdrawn earlier in the month as the Department for Levelling Up has "ultimately concluded that the scheme is not deliverable within the budget and timeframe of the Housing Infrastructure Fund".

Broadly speaking locally, much interest in the restoration of passenger services disappeared when it became clear that the line wouldn't actually link to the central Medway towns, but to Gravesend and London. That may have earned more money, but locals were expecting both (I think even a service extended down the Medway Valley via Strood would have been better received than "London only", but that's only my speculation).

 

[zwk500]

Not only has the plan for the rail service been withdrawn, the entire Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) funding was withdrawn earlier in the month as the Department for Levelling Up has "ultimately concluded that the scheme is not deliverable within the budget and timeframe of the Housing Infrastructure Fund".

The train service was dependent on the HIF funding, when that was withdrawn the train service was dead.

Broadly speaking locally, much interest in the restoration of passenger services disappeared when it became clear that the line wouldn't actually link to the central Medway towns, but to Gravesend and London. That may have earned more money, but locals were expecting both (I think even a service extended down the Medway Valley via Strood would have been better received than "London only", but that's only my speculation).

The southern/eastern curve was looked at but quickly increased the costs beyond a viable level.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Hmm. Now’s the time to get the buses running reliably. Fast bus to Chatham via the tunnel as well as the trundle through Wainscott-Strood-Rochester? Or make it into a looping service,!tunnel first one way, towns first the other?

 

[telstarbox]

The development won't get built now so there isn't much point.

 

[eastwestdivide]

The development won't get built now so there isn't much point.

Which development? There’s been a ton of housebuilding around Hoo over the last few years, still going on, and the buses are not very reliable.

 

[Train Maniac]

Which development? There’s been a ton of housebuilding around Hoo over the last few years, still going on, and the buses are not very reliable.

The whole of the old Chattenden millitary base was going to be turned into a new garden village

 

[zwk500]

Which development? There’s been a ton of housebuilding around Hoo over the last few years, still going on, and the buses are not very reliable.

The development that was justifying the reopening of Sharnal Street station, which is what the HIF money was for.

 

[swt_passenger]

The development won't get built now so there isn't much point.

Maybe the thread title could be altered? It’s still quite positive…

 

[eastwestdivide]

Cheers people. All very confusing, even after reading the long newspaper article here:

Housing plans in limbo as government pulls plug on £170m funding

It has been confirmed £170m of funding is to be withdrawn from a council after the government lost faith in its ability to deliver a major project.

www.kentonline.co.uk

As I understand it, the HIF fund was intended for the infrastructure to support housing development. What a mess.