TWENTY-five thousand pounds has been raised towards a feasibility study for a railway line between Cirencester and Kemble station.

Plans to bring a new railway line into Cirencester were revealed in May last year after former mayor Mark Harris pitched the idea to the Department of Transport.

The approved plan by Cllr Harris and Richard and Jane Gunner, of Whiteway Farm, will open Cirencester to the national rail network for the first time since 1964.

The feasibility study for a train running the 5km to Kemble station is estimated to cost £50,000.

St James’ Place has already pledged £5,000 and Winstone Trust has pledged £20,000 on the condition that the specification for any feasibility is agreed by them. Discussions are ongoing with other groups.

Cllr Harris introduced his motion at a town council meeting last Tuesday, November 14, which asked the council to support the feasibility study and to contribute £5,000 towards it.

Cllr Harris said: “The next stage of potentially getting a train from Kemble to Cirencester is to do a feasibility study.

“What this is to do is to say if we want to support a feasibility study.

“St James’ Place have said they would contribute £5,000 towards feasibility.

“Winstone Trust have said they would contribute £20,000 pounds, but the condition is that the specification for any feasibility is agreed by them. So they are not going to release anything if they think the specification for feasibility is in any way flaky.

“We think it will cost around £50,000. We now have £25,000. I am proposing that the council contributes £5,000 (10 per cent) as kind of a commitment to our transport strategy.”