RAIL campaigners are calling for £33m of regional funding which had been earmarked for a rejected road scheme to be used to restore double track on the main railway line between Kemble and Swindon.

A Westbury bypass plan was turned down in July by Communities Secretary John Denham.

Now Railfuture Severnside is suggesting that the money be spent elsewhere in Wiltshire to relieve a major rail network bottleneck.

“Now that the Government has decided to electrify the main lines from Paddington to Bristol and South Wales, the Kemble route will carry a large number of diverted trains while the work is carried out,” said branch secretary, Nigel Bray.

“This makes it essential that the 12 mile single track section is doubled as soon as possible.”

He described the line via Kemble as the only realistic alternative route for trains between South Wales and South East England whenever the Severn Tunnel or the routes leading to it are closed for engineering work or by any other obstruction.

The Kemble line is also the main rail artery between Gloucestershire and London.

During the electrification of the Great Western main line, the Swindon to Kemble line will be the primary diversionary route.

MP Jim Knight, the Minister for the South West, has said that if the South West Regional Development Agency can produce an agreed, realistic and deliverable five-year programme by November 16, then funds that had previously been allocated to the Westbury bypass could be re-allocated.

It was back in 2008 when the Office of the Rail Regulator announced its funding plans for 2009 to 2014, detailing that while the Cotswold line would be re-doubled, the Swindon to Kemble line would not receive funding.

Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said: “I have been campaigning for this enhancement because I recognise how important it is.

“All those from councillors to commuters who have lobbied for the improvement have managed to convince the decision makers on this scheme that the initial decision by the Office of the Rail Regulator was clearly wrong.

“However, there remains much work to be done before November 16 and I will be doing all I can to liaise with the South West RDA, the Department of Transport and Network Rail.”