A petition to bring back the former train stations at Grimstone and Frampton has been sent to Dorset Council, Network Rail and Chris Loder MP.
Grimstone and Frampton train station opened on the 20 January 1857 and served the local villagers well for 109 years until it closed 3 October 1966. The train station was completely demolished and part of the site has since been taken over and made into a Minster Fuel depot. This leaves about 130 meters between the Minster Fuel depot and the Grimstone Viaduct for a 40-60 metre request stop platform.
The petition, started on the 17th September 2021, was welcomed by Long Ash Service station and the Saxon Arms inn, Stratton. Petition organiser Jack Bleasdale has also been walking through the villages, door knocking.
Jack told KeeP 106: “We have currently managed to get over 500 names supporting this venture. I stopped the paper petition on the 27th September 2021 to move online. I truly believe this is a golden opportunity to give a much needed public service to a network of villages that are desperate for it.
“The petition was mainly for the local community, however there are people from outside Dorset that have said they holiday here, have family here and would visit via a train of which they are all in full support. Those locals that cannot drive for whatever reason, are walking up to and above 5 miles just to get into town for either work or shopping. We have people that are medically unable to drive or walk too far but would be able to get to Grimstone to get the train into town. We need one platform and access to it and this would revolutionise all the villages around Frampton and Stratton.
“Currently the villages of Frampton, Stratton, Grimstone, Bradford Peverell, Muckleford and Sydling St Nicholas (a combined population of 1,568) have no means of public transport leaving us reliant on our cars or an expensive taxi fair (£13 one way) to get people in and out of town. As the train already passes through our villages, Grimstone being central and accessible to all the surrounding villages, I propose that we look to put a Request Stop (Halt) in at Grimstone in which everyone would benefit.”
Jack continues that the benefits include:
- Public service into major towns such as Weymouth, Dorchester, Yeovil, Bristol and further on, especially for those who don’t drive or don’t want to drive.
- Easier access to gain employment opportunities, local shopping markets / high street stores, hospitals and schooling.
- Cost effective – With ever reducing budgets and the need to spend effectively, it is cheaper to travel by train than to get an expensive taxi into town.
- Need for speed – You never have to worry about being stuck in traffic or finding a car parking space in busy towns such as Dorchester or Weymouth. Most train stations are in the heart of the town.
- Staying Connected – Charge your phone or camera to be able to watch a movie or get some work done, it’s all possible on a train. To add to that, some trains will be installing WiFi. Families and individuals will enjoy the train experience.
- Cutting carbon emissions.
Jack continues: “Frampton and Grimstone are 5 miles from Dorchester, 3 miles from our nearest train station, this would greatly improve our means of travel around the county. This would be a positive addition to our village of Frampton and Grimstone Community.”
Councillor David Taylor has told KeeP 106: “We as Dorset Council, and myself as a Dorset Councillor, have become increasingly conscious that we need to incorporate new and historical transport systems into the modern public transport system. Jack and I have identified closed and defunct railway stations that could be put back into operation for people to use, along with buses, so the roads become less congested and people in rural areas that cannot drive will be able to travel again. We are also looking at joining cycle routes, bridleways and pathways to allow people to travel safely.”
Picture below shows a group of local residents with Cllr David Taylor (front left) and Frampton Parish Councillor, Steven Westrip.
