NO buses are set to provide a regular service to and from Bridgwater Train Station - despite £1.2m worth of improvements to the station and forecourt.

Work was completed on the £1.2m project before Christmas.

It was delivered by Great Western Railway (GWR), and funded by Somerset County Council and Sedgemoor District Council (SDC) using money secured from the Department for Transport and the developers of the Hinkley C scheme.

When the works were announced, one of the stated aims was ‘to make better use of the available space, allowing buses to access the station, creating spaces for taxis and improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists’.

Now complete, the new facilities include a bus stop and shelter, but no buses to serve them with The Buses of Somerset saying the layout is not practical for their vehicles.

A Buses of Somerset spokesman said: “Responding during consultation about the front of station improvements, Buses of Somerset clarified that none of its services divert into the station forecourt.

“We said that it would made sense to make provision for buses and coaches to cover off future opportunities which would for example also allow for rail replacement services, or the possibility of other operators in the area, including Somerset Passenger Solutions buses, to call at the station on route to Hinkley Point.

“Considering the space constraints of the station forecourt and the average length of our buses and coaches, the provided bay can currently only be served if there are no cars obstructing the approach in St John Street.

“As things stand, cars are entitled to park there without restrictions.”

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The Buses of Somerset said it is working in partnership with rail and local authority parties to jointly review the ‘adequacy of the new provision’.

The Buses of Somerset spokesman added: “One immediate low-cost improvement for passengers would be to improve signage between Bridgwater station and nearby bus stops on St John Street, which are a short, three-minute walk away, that are being served by services B1/2 and 75.”

GWR said it was working with SDC to encourage bus operators to offer services from the station.

A spokesperson said: “Ultimately it is up to these operators to choose to serve the station and we hope that they will decide to do so, further supporting the local economy that we serve.”

GWR says the turning circle was designed for 8.7 metre buses - like the smaller, shopper-style buses - and it meets those requirements, adding that 8.7 metre buses would not be affected by residents parking in St John Street.

The Friends of Bridgwater Station said it was urging the bus companies and GWR to resolve any logistical problems, and provide the long-awaited bus-rail link.

A Friends of Bridgwater Station spokesperson said: “It speaks volumes that we have got a smart new forecourt, with a bus stop and shelter, but with no forward planning for an integrated rail and bus service, which is what the rail station, town and surrounding area so desperately need.

“Signage from rail station to bus stops would be a welcome short-term measure, but not the final answer.

“Visitors to the town might be deterred from bringing cars into the town centre if they knew they could get a train and bus link.

“A town centre bus-link is vital. We have declared a climate emergency, therefore we need to take steps to discourage car use.”

READ MORE: Work to start on £1.2 million project at Bridgwater train station

The spokesperson said a bus link would be beneficial to commuters and residents who find the parking spaces outside their homes occupied by the vehicles of station users.

“The No. 75 bus could carry large numbers of tourists between Wells and Glastonbury to the rail station, as well as meeting the needs of local passengers and commuters.”