WORK on a potential ‘Dorset Metro’ that will provide greater rail links across Bournemouth and the surrounding area will begin this summer.

A strategic outline business case will be developed for initially an additional all stations train service running once an hour between Wareham and Brockenhurst, in both directions.

This will investigate if this is feasible, and what upgrades are needed to make this happen.

Documents published show the extent of plans which could be implemented across the conurbation.

The draft BCP Council local plan, which has been submitted for examination, says the plan will explore the potential for a Dorset Metro for a more frequent rail service across the area.

It says: “Work will be undertaken, in conjunction with the Department for Transport, Network Rail, train operating companies and other agencies, to support the opening and improvement of local rail stations and the Dorset Metro concept to provide additional rail services where these primarily facilitate short distance passenger journeys across the BCP area.”

Another document, the South East Dorset Urban Mobility Strategy, produced by the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership with both BCP and Dorset Councils in 2020, set out a desire to implement this Dorset Metro by 2040.

This could include regular services through a new railway station at Talbot Heath to serve both universities, as well as reopening the former Boscombe station, purely for local services, the document said.

Within the draft local plan’s infrastructure delivery plan, possible costs for these stations are listed at £23million and £21million respectively, with a time scale up to 2039.

The Dorset Connectivity Strategic Study from Network Rail in December 2021 said that closing both the Wareham and Poole level crossings would be ‘key’ to any service changes in the area.

Other changes this document said could be needed are power upgrades beyond Poole and track layout revisions and remodelling at Bournemouth Station, with the potential for new platforms.

Potential new connections to Bournemouth Airport, Ferndown and Ringwood were also included within this study.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Dorset Council and Western Gateway STB have provided funding to support Network Rail in developing a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) for the Dorset Metro concept.

“This work will begin this summer and investigate the feasibility for one additional, all stations, train service per hour between Wareham and Brockenhurst (in both directions), infrastructure changes in the Bournemouth area to improve performance and operations and improvements to the Weymouth to London Waterloo service to provide a more even service interval.

“The Dorset Metro would be similar to the ‘Devon Metro’ concept which is about incrementally increasing service frequency in the Exeter ‘Travel to Work Area’. In this case, it is about connecting the Bournemouth and wider Dorset (and Hampshire) areas to employment, services and leisure opportunities.”