Great Central Article

Introduction: ERTA has like others (see: http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/re-opening-rail-lines and https://ertarail.com/campaigns/) its own list of ‘other-plethora’ wish list of reopenings but owing to low active members and little in the way of resources, we are focused mainly on East-West Rail (Oxford-Cambridge via Bedford) and Bedford-Northampton and we’re seeing the strategic gains of a Guildford-Brighton line via Cranleigh and Horsham, Great Central south of the Leicester area to Old Oak Common (OOC) and the bit linking these two lines that of Old Oak Common – Heathrow (tunnel and sub-surface station and concourse)-the Feltham-Woking-Guildford line – 2 way junctioning for Waterloo or South London Lines and/or via Woking – Guildford. Leicester – Brighton via Heathrow/West London and Guildford makes approximately 150 miles of new railway with some bits already there (principally Calvert, Grendon-OOC, Feltham (or adjacent area) to Guildford and of course Shoreham into Brighton.

The benefits are numerous like: a. more north-south capacity, b. more London seats, c.  better access direct to Heathrow from East Midlands and vice versa ‘not via London and change’ d. Oxford-Reading-Guildford exists, quick, direct access to Brighton without changing at Redhill or Gatwick and vice versa for example. Protection now is vital work to do by all.

Why we’re going to need Great Central tomorrow…

The reality is London terminal capacity is at a premium and in the example of St Pancras, there is not the capacity for the intense East Midlands trains and Thameslink 12 coach electric trains to share the same platforms. Thameslink sub-surface is a through route, a twin track solution which has no terminal baying capacity in the design. Therefore, with growth in development, population and the concentration of jobs relative to demographic spread, commuting has a tension of demand, supply and demand management via pricing regimes which are eye-watering. A day return to London sets one back some £30 odd and for many pockets the train is becoming an anti-social cost to a daily requirement – to court a living relative to time, effort, argie-bargie and reward.

Something must give... what? Then turn to the roads, gridlock congestion bedevils buses, the drive to and from a railway station, parking and costs and on-street access and the “yes, we have a cycle network” P.R. of many a local authority, but the hidden “…but it does not join up.” Is often found out in experience of trial and error. In short roads and rails are congested and so any new or growth must have a new corridor to go to, engage with and branch out from. Enter our Leicester-Heathrow-Guildford-Brighton main line run. 125 mph, limited stops, twin track, realignments where blockages exist. This is on a larger scale than our branch-line jaunts of Bedford-Northampton, important as they are; this is a big push. We have produced a dossier which has been widely circulated and summarised in an article in the national fortnightly publication of Rail Issue 829. Oh, yes, we’re making tracks, we’re making the media and branching out, reaching out and raising the game for re-railing the English Regions. Others do elsewhere and their own particulars. Railfuture, Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) and ERTA could be accused of being rivals, but we agree on far more than we disagree on and the fact we’re coming to the same conclusion quite separately in a call for a rolling programme of rail reopenings and new builds is telling. This, however minute and miniscule the Treasury, Department for Transport and Government may allocate priority and funding, none-the-less the adage of “you have a network, ensure it is well used and not closed first” has had its day and retention with growth is what is required now going forward. This is if we want society and individual partnership with market capacity to offer comprehensive employment and access to be working properly. Otherwise it is dysfunctional and structurally deficient.

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