It is welcome news that, after nearly two years, the Dorchester South Railway Station’s much needed ‘access for all’ scheme, spearheaded by the Conservatives in West Dorset, has now progressed to the next major stage before full delivery. The bid was championed by Chris Loder, the former Conservative MP for West Dorset who, using his experience from a 20-year career working on the Britain’s railways, had secured the project a spot on the Government’s list of sites shortlisted for the work.

This priority listing was originally secured just prior to the dissolution of Parliament in May 2024 to complete Chris’s previous efforts to improve transport links and access for the people of West Dorset.

A spokesperson from West Dorset Conservatives said of the news; “we are pleased to see that the hard work put in by Chris and the Conservatives is continuing to make a difference. Chris had banged the drum for these improvements, including the recent changes to the ticketing hall and access ramp which are now complete, and secured this vital bid to progress back in 2024.”

“It is disappointing that this has taken nearly 2 years for the Labour Government to implement what was secured by the Conservatives clearly showing how low West Dorset and the rural South-West is on their priority list. It’s time we returned to having an MP who is prepared to hold the Government to account.”