Northampton-Bedford Rail Link Committee - All Welcome

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The Bedford-Northampton rail link if restored beit East-West Rail compliment and/or Midland Main Line passenger and freight contributor and relief to current trains going into, across and out of London via MK Central Station, relieving paths for other trains. It is a mystery as to the hard sell some make on the contribution HS2 will enable. 

Will it be a clincial self contained railway with dedicated High Speed Trains going 180 mph or will it allow other trains onto it's tracks which may have 125 mph capability all mixed together - varying trains, varying speeds? This is unclear and I suspect HS will not want other trains. So it could be a shift of seats from West Coast and Midland Main Lines to HS - will there be any extra costs associated with gains of time end to end journeys? This again seems unsure. 

Hard sells and realities may differ but Bedford-Northampton could deliver real results. See letter from Hutchinson Ports for evidence on what it could offer - benefits for Bedford, Milton Keynes, London and Northampton. So this is why we desperately need a halt to expansion north of Olney, for a route alignment to be protected and set aside as greenbelt and for formal professional interest and support to grow. For this we need a growing team of helpers and volunteers, friends and networking to grow and influence organisations like East-West Rail, Railfuture, English Economic Heartlands, Dft, Chris Grayling, the media and others to take some interest and see the strategic rail opportunity here and give support, insist development be tailored to retain the rail link option and forge cross local government boundary collaboration. 

Our Council at Bedford for example may not have funds to commission a study as to the benefits and contribution the railway could make, but what does it cost to convene a round table and grow a network of support?

Join ERTA to help improve Northampton’s rail connections and give more options in transport choice. The bus link to Bedford take 1.5 hours to do 21.5 miles and this holds back the trade and job commute options our towns could be sharing with each other.

Northampton – Bedford Rail Reopenings Committee Saturday, 12th May at Friends Meeting House (Quakers) School Room, Wellington Street, Northampton NN1 3AS. 1.30pm Contact/Enquiries/Offers of help and support via: Mr Simon Barber
T. 0208 940 4399, E. simon4barber@gmail.com

https://ertarailvolunteer.blogspot.co.uk/

I look forward to seeing you there. Please feel free to invite others. People can make free-will donations to ERTA via PayPal on our website: https://ertarail.com/donate/  All donations help with our costs and informing front line flyers which reach out into communities. 

Our membership and workload expands and so together we can make a critical difference. Be part of that, as what we sow today or not, will be the issues of tomorrow. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

ERTA Officer.