BRTA is saddened by recent developments regarding rail links east of Bedford.

BRTA is saddened by recent developments regarding rail links east of Bedford.

The British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) is concerned that its preferred rail route east of Bedford is under threat and lacks any notable champions coming forward to advocate for it despite best efforts.

From 1995-2017 it was agreed a new Bedford-Cambridge railway would go east of Bedford via the former St John’s Station area on the course of old railway. Then in 2019 the consultation on routes, abandoned the previous consensus and did not include it in the list of options for the public to engage with. The public gave support for a Northern Route E, because of the wish to link with the principal Bedford Midland Railway Station and go north and out via a new constructed rail route to Tempsford and onwards to Cambridge. 

The reasons for the abandonment of the previous ‘old’ route were:

1. The old route is built on at Blunham and Sandy

2. The Officer for Road and Rail (ORR) stipulated no new or reopened rail links would be able to have Level Crossings and would need flyovers or duck-under bridges.

BRTA believes this should be challenged with special dispensations where no other enablement to reopening can be done unless a level crossing is provided.

Alas, despite campaigning over many years, no champions have arisen from MP’s to Mayors to other leaders, and that lack of champions has left the rail route vulnerable. 

Indeed, the Bedford Borough Council did a study looking at 3 rail routes going east of Bedford and found BRTA’s route was viable and do-able given the caveats required. However, drift has meant default to the Northern Route and now 1000 houses west of Willington, Bedford will scupper the former rail route and lock-in the Northern Route which wants at least 60 houses demolished for an extra two tracks north of Bedford and faces engineering and costly challenges getting through Black Cat Roundabout on the A1 and over the River Great Ouse at Tempsford before ducking under the main north-south main line at Tempsford to go on to Cambridge.

BRTA is disappointed, BRTA CEO Richard Pill said “we are sleep walking into the Northern Rail Route and that will mean upheaval and take 10 years to build whenever permission is granted. Meanwhile the Bedford Midland Railway Station will need more tracks and platform provisions and a new passenger booking hall. Given Oxford-Bedford trains are due 2031, waiting another 8 years for the Bedford-Tempsford-Cambridge railway to be built, means sidings at Bedford for Oxford trains will be needed. Add to which, Universal’s 8-million visitors per year from 2031, will mean things are extremely busy. BRTA is sad our route is not being supported despite our many appeals and congestion looks set to get worse for years to come.”

Redhill Rail Reform - It could bring enormous benefits to passengers and more freight by rail too!

Redhill, is the key location on South East Railway Network, where ‘reform’ with investment, could bring dividends to all rail users and more freight by rail too!

The British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) wants reform of Redhill on and part of the Brighton Main Line, which has had numerous suggestions for capacity enhancement. Closures, locked-in road dependency, and growth, leaving existing lines struggling to cope with demand as people want to vote with their feet and use better public transport.
Our diagram above, done by our excellent member Iain Sear, shows the principles of our intent to speed access to principal places at Redhill for people and goods. It does not show every track that exists, it is simplified to try and convey an idea… what if?!
 
We call for:
1.    Third Rail Electrification of the North Downs Line to enable East Croydon-Guildford and Reading Thameslink network growth and wrap around. That releases diesel stock for deployment elsewhere.
2.    The flyover idea would enable Channel Tunnel-Oxford and beyond freight and passenger trains orbiting London and linking with principal places like Birmingham, freeing up capacity on existing lines.
3.    Tonbridge-Gatwick and Brighton direct, shaving time off changing at Redhill would enable more trains and reduce messing around, overcrowding and link Kent with Sussex by rail.
4.    BRTA calls for organisations to form a coalition, pool talent and resources and study these ideas, the benefits and time savings, freeing up paths and enabling transformation of the areas rail services.
5.    If you support our calls, please add your voice to our membership: https://brtarail.com/become-a-member/
6.    Other schemes over the recent decades have been numerous: Lewes-Uckfield, Brighton Main Line Mark 2, and a late comer is to abolish the Gatwick Express and amalgamate serving Gatwick Airport, a growth area, into existing services, with more of them. BRTA is not necessarily against these schemes and some like Lewes – Uckfield, we have flagged up many times, but they all seem to flounder on hitches sadly.
7.    Our suggestion of a flyover at Redhill has been around since the time of the 1955 British Railways Modernisation Plan, which was only partly implemented, intended to save the railways, instead, led preludatively to the mass closures with modernisation was more often than not being made out of economies, not government investment, which went on more roads, sadly. Getting congestion off the roads by improving rail links and access, is a top priority for BRTA and we invite the public to email their MP’s in support of what we are tabling here: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons?sort=1
BRTA holds forums around the South East to bring people together, for recruitment purposes and to delegate roles and responsibilities to local people to roll up their sleeves and help usher the agendas along!

If you share the agenda, help bring it about. Time is running out and you can make a real difference! Watch this space for progress updates! E. info@brtarail.com

Colne-Skipton reopening of a local rail link needed!

re: https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/25593825.cross-party-support-restoration-skipton-colne-line/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1762259415

It has long awaited, and deserves a chance and the full go-ahead. Does the government want sustainable growth and local-regional regeneration? Then reopening this rail link is the way to go. BRTA supports it, our Northern Area Rep cc'd here, is also instrumentally gathering and giving support. Please add your voice by writing to your local MP: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons?sort=1 and add your voice to SELRAP - the group leading on campaigning for the local rail reopening. It makes absolute sense and should be a top 10 of such reinstatements in the North with others similarly nationwide including Wales and Scotland too.

See: https://www.selrap.org.uk/ and our campaigns pages for other area lists too (East Anglia to be done shortly): https://brtarail.com/our-campaigns/

Up-to-date news can be posted on our Blogspot: 

https://brtarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/ If you want more on your area/region, join, do something, make news and campaign towards delivery!

Land of my fathers! It is time for Welsh Rail Revival for the whole country staring with basics!

01-11-2025: Even more reasons to rebuild these strategic rail links in WALES! (and across the British Nations): 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8ej07z328o.amp

26-10-25

https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/cambrian-coast-evening-trains-from-pwllheli-to-machynlleth-retained-for-now-after-community-campaign-845199

Revive Wales' Rail Network starting with adequate capacity now!

re: https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/plans-for-new-trains-on-cambrian-line-delayed-again-842982#comments 

BRTA is courting people to join BRTA and help us inform a team to highlight the issues and campaign to get not just improvements to existing lines like Cambrian Coast Railway, but the full restoration to modern rail standards of the full-blown West Wales North-South Main Line from Carmarthen-Bangor! If you agree, join BRTA and email Welsh Assembly, MP's and Media Outlets to give us support. 

See: https://brtarail.com/wales/ for our wider Welsh Rail Revival agenda... even if 50% is delivered over 10 years, it is worth it for a variety of good reasons - socially, economically, environmentally and morally! Join us now. Our free email loop for updates is available via ceo@brtarail.com

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

BRTA CEO

https://pembrokeshire-herald.com/124130/councillors-back-call-for-more-rail-funding-and-reopening-of-line/

Horsham Forum: Developments abound, but where are the new rail links to soak up congestion and pollution?

Update 10-11-2025:

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/new-hitch-in-battle-to-reopen-disused-rail-lines-between-guildford-horsham-and-shoreham-5395203?cx_testId=1&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=1&cx_experienceId=EX1XA55IXI4V&cx_experienceActionId=showRecommendationsIB4K4GGSCTSZ8#cxrecs_s

08-11-2025 Calls for action!

See also our new South East Page: 

https://brtarail.com/southeast/

Development pressures abound across the South East, yet no new local rail infrastructure projects being rolled out by Government and agencies, councils and industry seem to roll-out rhetoric and blusterism, but translates to a lack of rail in all content beyond existing lines, which are busy and reaching capacity. BRTA wants the local network to grow more and reopenings, rebuildings and select new pieces of infrastructure, not roads, is how we retain land and open spaces and underpin development sustainably. Please email your MP and encourage support for our suggestions. Join BRTA/affiliate and help resource our endeavours to enable more, offer to volunteer too, helping us with delivery and ensuring the smooth and consistent operation of our advance for getting more rail and rail solutions. It is time to think big and consider new pieces of rail infrastructure like Polegate avoiding lines, like a direct Tonbridge-Gatwick curve and reinstating a new-build Guildford-Cranleigh-Horsham/Shoreham rail link to relieve the Brighton Main Line and enable more without recourse into London and out again or endless delays trying to get across the South East by rail. Add your voice, your MP's can be found here: 

https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons?sort=1

Here's an example of what we face: 

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/pressure-for-more-housebuilding-in-horsham-condemned-as-relentless-5391161 and 

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/worried-residents-raise-concerns-over-plans-for-1000-new-houses-in-southwater-5390268 It is a time to prepare for a 2026 action to bring development to provide the railways we need, or be halted! People need homes, but also to be free of congestion, blight and pollution. Enquiries welcome: info@brtarail.com

Update 07-11-25

Protect routes and ask councils to work up business cases: re: https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/worried-residents-raise-concerns-over-plans-for-1000-new-houses-in-southwater-5390268 Email the County Council and relevant local authority calling for the rail corridor to be protected and a rail link made a top priority between Shoreham and Horsham. Call for a study making the case for the rail link. Email also, the port of Shoreham about what the rail link can offer.

I now attach a copy of the Minutes of our recent Horsham Forum.

•    Horsham-Guildford -  We agreed that there is very high initial capital expenditure for that line.  Much of the old track-bed survives, and quite a portion of it is now the Downs Link; this would already give some protection of the track-bed - we feel that it can be slewed beside the railway being separated by appropriate fencing (including a hedge) to keep out children and trespassers accessing the railway. We also feel that the line should be re-opened following several new housing developments and population growth along the track-bed corridor and at the same time the increased population will increase road traffic which is already horrendous at times along the A281 Guildford - Horsham road. The re-opened railway would provide a direct link between Brighton and Guildford/Reading and potentially beyond.  We should get Councils and MPs on board, target green organisations/groups in Cranleigh, and also Onslow Estates,which will be via the Clandon Estates Office. The estate has a house at Knowle Park in Cranleigh 
•    Horsham-Shoreham - This should be the second phase after Horsham-Guildford. There are local council offices on that line at Southwater, and bricklayer's pits in the vicinity. There must be a commercial case for that line.  We feel that the Christ's Hospital to Shoreham informing a joined-up Guildford-Brighton direct railway which could relieve the Brighton Main Line, offer more journey by rail opportunities and declutter urban areas, rural roads and free up parking capacity through more choice and options. Towns such as Oxford and Heathrow-Brighton via Guildford would draw in significant footfall and spend minus the volumes of traffic places without rail choices suffer be it daily movements or seasonal booms and slumps. The track-bed is again part of the Downs Link. 
•     North Downs Line/Access to Gatwick Airport -  This should be a high priority since housing developments are taking place at Earlswood. There should be direct curves from both the Tonbridge (aka North Downs Line) to Gatwick and a study into a new flyover at Redhill linking Tonbridge and Guildford lines for passenger and freight to and from both Kent and the Channel Tunnel. Furthermore the North Downs Line will also bring capacity to the M25.
•     Arundel Curve - This should be viable and also cheaper than Horsham (Christs Hospital) -Shoreham, and we now have to look at costings. We decided that the curve between the Mid-Sussex Line and Coastway Line would be at Barnham rather than Ford since it is close to HM Prison. Whenever the Brighton Main Line is shut for any reason the increase in rail traffic is significant on the Mid-Sussex Line.
•    Midhurst-Chichester - To prevent road-building. 
•    Chessington South-Epsom/Leatherhead - To prevent road-building. Furthermore there are new housing developments close to Epsom and Leatherhead.
•    Other improvements, such as enabling a direct train from Heathrow to Gatwick.  Longer-term such a line could also link up via High Wycombe to East-West Rail. Overall, we discussed calling this the "R25" (like the motorway but rail). 
•    We also discussed the merits of new stations on existing lines in the Guildford area - Merrow and Park Barn.

BRTA Horsham Forum 

Saturday 25 October 2025 at the Lynd Cross, 1 Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 2PG for 2pm lunch and 3-5pm business

Venue website: https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/the-lynd-cross-horsham/

Venue phone: 01403-272393

Main Convenor for BRTA is Simon Barber: admin@brtarail.com

Phone (landline): 020-8940-4399 Phone (mobile): 07522-374740

All welcome

1.Horsham – Guildford

2.Horsham -  Shoreham

3.North Downs Line

4.Access to Gatwick Airport

5.Arundel Curve 

6.   Petersfield - Midhurst – Chichester

7. Chessington South – Epsom/Leatherhead

Check our new web page for the South East:

https://brtarail.com/southeast/

Join BRTA and offer to help us make project and organisational progress.

Bedford, East-West Rail, Northampton Station and radial rails under attack by dithering otherly government!

18-10-25 West Northamptonshire Unitary Council will deliberate 23rd October 2025: please object, email your local MP and engage, giving BRTA support: 

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/politics/council/major-plans-to-redevelop-area-around-northampton-railway-station-with-new-multi-storey-car-park-homes-and-a-hotel-set-to-be-approved-5359361

re: https://www.derehamtimes.co.uk/news/25540683.call-norwich-oxford-rail-link-suffers-knockback/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1760786919

The Minister has spoken! In Norwich of all places, not Westminster! Oxford-Cambridge should be a top priority for delivery now as per Colne-Skipton in the north of England.

Oxford-Milton Keynes is delayed and the Aylesbury link for access between Old Oak Common (OOC) and Milton Keynes//Bedford.

Bedford-Cambridge has 3 routes, a Northern Route E requiring 60 houses be knocked down, the old route with new-build north of Blunham to Tempsford - now under threat from a new 1000 houses development sandwiched between a country park, flood plain and the village of Willington east of Bedford: https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/major-development-submitted-for-1000-homes-at-bedford-river-valley-park/ BRTA submitted an objection but was blocked by the Planning Department for some unknown reason, but customer services said they would pass the email on, we live in hope! This development would block our route and deviation land around Willington.

Then there is a southern route avoiding Bedford Midland completely. It would disenfranchise non car users, deter car users from bothering with the train, make Bedford-Bletchley/Oxford trains possibly avoid Bedford Midland and cause as many problems and spiralling costs as to make the government use it as an excuse to back out, despite finding £9billion for the Lower Thames Road Crossing between Kent and Essex - it is about values, priorities and not playing pluralism games with rail as the expedient pastry trim to ensure pie fits the proverbial bowl and cloth the proverbial table!

We ask supporters of BRTA and our route to email their MP's and ask them to support Oxford and beyond now and ensure it is properly done, budgeted for and that our route east of Bedford is chosen and included in any new consultations. 2050 is too late as to make anyone under 40 cynical and that is working well, whereas a 10 years 'all done' and 'inclusive' priority, would galvanise investment now and boost growth, jobs and sustainability if delivered as a matter of priority: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons?sort=1 Please email your MP asap in support of our calls. Please see attached for Bedford Elected Mayor as well. There's massive support for the idea of an Oxbridge rail link and others and it is the fine detail and absence of leadership-champions which is the problem.

Meanwhile, our route enables west to north access and vice versa from the east, for Midland Main Line North and any new-build Bedford-Northampton (for Rugby and Birmingham) synergies by rail for passenger and freight operations, but plans and developments want to use rail land for other non-rail purposes, when even with existing increases in passengers, population and freight by rail, demands more land is used for platform, tracks and more capacity, not developed on by non-rail plans. 

That elected representatives seem to be detached to a degree and play the sympathy card for 60 houses north of Bedford to be demolished but fail to step up in support of our route, informs a deficit and defaults to Northern Route at the same time.

We need all the help we can get, as the rail interest is under attack and congestion in urban locations is getting worse, polluting our air, damaging health and detracting from the quality of life, ambience and cost-saving of more freight by rail, our nation deserves. Enquiries via info@brtarail.com

In short, we are the voice, you are the power! Thank you.

Radial Rails for Northampton et al and Local Plans: Northampton balances between demand for housing and rail capacity.

20-10-2025 Update:

re: https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/people/major-northampton-railway-station-redevelopment-could-be-another-bus-station-fiasco-warns-councillor-5361602 and https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/business/construction-begins-on-217-new-homes-in-busy-residential-road-in-northampton-residents-remain-worried-about-traffic-chaos-5364720

Northampton is a large town, geographically central to England and a major logistics hub. You would have thought it logical to have radial rail links to and from the vicinity. Past mistakes of the 1960's closed local and regional rail links, whilst Whitehall supported London overspill new-towns like Milton Keynes and bolted onto existing places like Northampton. 

However, the loss of local rail links meant a heavy reliance on new road construction and use with urban concentrates of heavy traffic congestion, even with bypasses.

BRTA concedes that there is a demand for housing, in fact, social housing is the longest queue: https://yieldinvesting.co.uk/uk-social-housing-outlook-2025/ Yet the questions arising are as follows:

1. Will the Ransome Road/Delapre Estate be mostly 'social housing' or des-res. Even if we side-stp suitability, will these new residents welcome trains at the end of their gardens if either a Northampton-Bedford or Peterborough rail link was pursued?

2. To build without regards to the acceptability and accommodation of a rail corridor, shows that keeping options open when so much commends for these rail links on a wide front, seems very short sighted and a cynical use of 'politics'.

A third question can be regarding Railway Station use of railway lands for non-rail development, again, at a current time when Northampton is experiencing growth of passenger and freight by rail demand, requiring more tracks for more trains, shows a lack of foresight and pandering to populism, rather than consideration for the strategic 'greener' transport links which could make a significant contribution to the local economy, environment and social capital of the town centre and areas (including access by rail to the Brackmills Industrial Estate) they would serve. Alas, all is being lost and trashed for short-term expediency. With development, people and goods need rail choices, to trash that or thwart growth and expansion by building on rail land, you throw away capability for rail-based growth and accommodation.

BRTA has made these matters known to the West Northants Council, West Northampton Development Corporation. We have been up and down hill on these projects and Bedford-Northampton, even bypassing Olney on new-build, was studied to the degree that it went before the Secretary of State for Transport in 2004 and saying "it has no business case" is head-in-sand as numerous consultants found there to be a good case. 

Our web page is: https://brtarail.com/b2n/ and on the Leicester direct link: https://brtarail.com/n2mh/ and Northants generally: https://brtarail.com/northantsrail/

Northampton has a huge health cost with gridlocked pollution from vehicles going nowhere fast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clm3m88g3x7o

So, unsustainable development, compromising former radial rail routes, will throw more compounding congestion to Northampton roads and lock-in the worsening scenario. We have made elected representatives 'aware' and leadership and intervention is called for to prioritise protecting rail access corridors and seeing the rail potential gains on and off the rails, and tailoring development to the tune that we don't throw proverbial 'babies' out with proverbial '#bathwaters'! That is what is happening currently, and at the 11th hour, BRTA appeals for reconsideration. Otherwise our elected representatives may flounder at the ballot box, but damage will be done and evermore difficult decisions will have to be made amidst rising costs for inaction and misadventure putting proverbial carts before the proverbial horses!

https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s22968/Appendix+1+West+Northamptonshire+Local+Transport+Plan+2025.pdf

I did look at the local plan, too much to wade through, glad it mentions B2N and we can say to responses to it M2MH should be kept under review as a strategic link via MK and Northampton with the East Midlands and vice versa.

On Northampton-Wellingborough, we don't support it notwithstanding seeing a proper evaluative engineering (practicals) of how it links with the slow lines east side of MML? EEH have a study supporting Northampton-Peterborough:

https://eeh-prod-media.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Peterborough-Northampton-Oxford_connnectivity_study_final.pdf

Long docs are not my forte, I have not got it in me unless clear sections on rail or I get referenced pages to look at.

What I can offer as a strategic passer on, is to encourage responses to it via email. I cc Simon Barber to that end who does a good job on such responses. Thank you.

Agenda for forth-coming Northampton Forum - which can plan a 2026 public meeting at the Quakers sometime like March? Please respond to these outlets and liaise with us for coordinated action.

Please see also:

https://eeh-prod-media.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Peterborough-Northampton-Oxford_connnectivity_study_final.pdf

https://brtarail.com/our-campaigns/

BRTA Northampton Forum Agenda

8 November at the Cordwainer for 2pm lunch and 3-5pm business.

https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/the-cordwainer-northampton/

1.          Someone to chair the meeting*

2.          Someone to record notes

3.          Northampton - Market Harborough

4.          Northampton - Bedford

5.          Roade Station

6.          Brackmills Branch

7.          How we take things forward:

a.          Growing a team/recruitment

b.          Delegating to locals

c.          Trackbed watch

d.          Business case making

e.          Winning people over

8. More freight by rail

9. Illusive Old Oak Common via a new Aylesbury Link

10. Any Other Business: Local plans for example

11. 2026 Day, Date, Time, and Place of next meeting

●            From above: Simon not to chair meetings.

●     Councils, Businesses, and other outlets with public need stirring to action.