Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions for the first time on Wednesday, Sarah Dyke, the Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton and Frome, demanded to know whether Rishi Sunak supported proposals for a new station to serve the Somerton and Langport area and asked for reassurances that her constituents' work in trying to drive the project forward had not been in vain.

 In January 2020, the Government announced £500m for the Restoring Your Railway (RYR) fund and asked MPs, local councils and community groups to propose how they could use funding to reinstate axed local services and restore closed stations. The funding was split into three categories: the Ideas Fund, Advanced Proposals and the New Station Fund.

In June 2020, the Langport Transport Group (LTG) submitted a proposal under the Ideas Fund and were successful, receiving £50k to develop a Strategic Outline Case (SOC).

The SOC explained that the closure of the Langport and Somerton stations in the 1960s had left a gap of more than 28 miles between Taunton and Castle Cary – the longest section without a station between London and Penzance.

Langport and Somerton lie at the heart of a large area of central Somerset, comprising significant clusters of population totalling more than 50,000. With the nearest stations at Taunton, Castle Cary, Bridgwater and Yeovil Junction, all 12 to 15 miles away, residents are denied easy access to the rail network.

The SOC was submitted by LTG and the then Somerset County Council in February 2022, but there has been no decision to date and no update from the Department for Transport since July 2022.

Speaking after Prime Minister's Questions, Sarah Dyke, the Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton and Frome, said: "I was pleased to have an opportunity to raise this important issue with the Prime Minister on behalf of my constituents, but I'm extremely frustrated by his typically ineffectual response.

 "People living in the Somerton and Langport area deserve better. They deserve access to the rail network, which passes through the heart of their community, a boost to the local economy and support in reducing their reliance on cars.

 "Langport Transport Group and Somerset Council submitted a very cogent business case to the Department for Transport and it's unacceptable that they've been waiting for an update since July 2022. It's time to get this vital project off the ground, which is why I'm launching a petition giving residents the opportunity to express their support for the proposed station and putting pressure on the Government to give it the green light."

 Sarah Dyke's petition can be found here: https://www.sarahdyke.uk/campaigns/new-train-station