Bedford-Northampton under threat as never before!

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

ERTA and it's predecessor have done sterling work for Bedford-Northampton with many arm chair critics and cynics on all sides raining against us. However the crunch cometh whereby a road scheme seeks to block the old trackbed at Northampton and a new development would take the field needed for the Handley Realignment and station at Olney. See attached for details. We have done enough. It should not be down to us alone, it is a collective issue and responsibility. We get buck passed and public pass responsibility to Councils and Councils to Government and Government to Councils and Councils to voters = you the public! It is chicken and egg and casualties are that the strategic oversight is lost, the railway is under threat from piecemeal development and enough IS enough! However there are consequences. By all means wade in and make your voices heard, but the community at large will bear the brunt stretching in a triangle box from Felixstowe-West Midlands via London and all in between. Freight and people flung to roads, roads widened slowly and new build at £billions even as Government preaches austerity and the environment, land use, conflict, parking, urban congestion worsens/diminishes. The railway is needed, it would fulfill multiple benefits and roles, locally and regionally and the regions to the nation as a whole - starts in our own back yards. Well this seeming insignificant backwater has wider repercussions. Fight the good fight, but we've done all we can at this stage. Thank you. If you want to join our loop email richard.erta@gmail.com. Touching heaven, touching earth - we need to be ready aye ready to engage both, alas it is divide and rule and chaos instead. If any wish to take a lead please do, otherwise we await to see the outcome and will judge the situation accordingly. Please read attachments and diagram which shows the pitfall we have come up against of buck passing basically and no over all responsibility/strategic consideration where it counts - to keep alive the rail interest at the heart of the strategic interest. Funny how the rail media can go on about things from seats to electrification, branch line reopenings to HS2 but Northampton, population of some 200, 000 is written off as marginal or whacky or somehow not cutting the mustard for deserving a new modern rail link to Bedford, Thameslink integration, East-West Rail to Cambridge and beyond and a rail paralell to A14-A45 interfaces which these rail links would deliver? Pluralism, randomness, commuter-London fixations based on 'today' which are inadequate, meanwhile this rail link could slip through our hands when, with a backer yet to be emergent, it could fulfill a vital role. 

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

ERTA

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Campaigns Coordinator, Executive Committee, Membership, Bedford Area Rep. Media Spokesperson and Newsletter Editor: Mr Richard Pill, 24c St Michaels Road, BEDFORD, MK40 2LT T. 01234 330090. E. richard.erta@gmail.com

You may wish to ring councillors to gauge their view on reopening the railway

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

You may wish to ring councillors to gauge their view on reopening the railway and if so the need to protect the corridor and crucially to defeat the link road scheme which may assume the old trackbed informing a nemesis blockage. On London Road - crossing or a bridge needs to be looked at - other precedents elsewhere may inform a lead on the way forward e.g. Bicester London Road and Cardington Road Bedford (East-West Rail). We've had positive meetings with Bedford Borough Council and elsewhere - we're seeking to grow a consensus of support. It is in Northampton, Milton Keynes, Olney and Bedford's interest to support and not scupper this rail link corridor. Felixstowe-Cambridge-Bedford-Northampton-West Midlands, a cross country link for passenger and freight potentially. Unless we do get it, we put more on over loaded roadways and deny London and access along the West Coast Main Line of rail capacity it otherwise may utilise.

http://www.northamptonboroughcouncil.com/councillors/mgFindMember.aspx?XXR=0&AC=PARTY&PID=217

I attach the model letter which you may wish to refer to. If we win the road battle, we have a stay of execution and are continuing to seek meetings with MP's, Councils and developers to seek support for the reopening, so a lot at stake. This really matters to us as it is a strategic missing rail link. Thank you.

Please do encourage

others to give help and support. We're still seeking a new webmaster to update, maintain and grow our website and maybe develop a dedicated website for Bedford-Northampton - all offers to my colleague Mr Simon Barber: Simon Barber simon4barber@gmail.com

You can donate via our existing website - click this link https://ertarail.com/donate/ If you experience any problems please let us know.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

ERTA

Bedford-Olney-Northampton trackbed inspection using Google Earth as to scope of overcoming blockages and deviation spaces 14-03-2018

Bedford-Olney-Northampton trackbed inspection using Google Earth as to scope of overcoming blockages and deviation spaces 14-03-2018

Preamble: The desire to record at this stage what blockages of significance there are and use as a basis for potential interests wishing to reopen for whatever reason and support these in studies and going forward to overcome blockages and make reopening happen.

a.      Slow tracks take a single bi-directional flyover onto and fanning out into a twin track railway spec for substantial lengths as space and opportunity allow. Key issue north of River Great Ouse, is there space for a flyover between MML slows and A6 Bypass?

b.      MML – Stevington Road – reclaim ploughed fields. Bromham/Oakley and Stevington Roads need bridging.

c.       Relay over Stevington Walk which occupies trackbed with walk and cycle route slewed alongside and maybe this per-functory of leisure off road could go as far as Northampton with deviations where rail priority in engineering or operational terms must take a priority.

d.      New bridge over Stevington Road and relay to Turvey not withstanding any blockage on private land.

e.      Reclaim Turvey Station area and realign going west to avoid new housing close to the railway with a sound barrier. Relay track to Clifton Reynes/near as.

f.        New deviation greater or lesser needed going north of old alignment to cross the Great Ouse with deep piling around across Lavendon Road and A509 to north or south of Sewage Works and associated fields between it and River to swing via a new bridge over Yardley Road to re-join former railway course. Could a new park and ride station be located west of Yardley Road? Calls for a new A509 Olney road bypass would slice the railway trajectory in half, so a bridge over or under the railway and Over Head Line Clearances would be required.

g.      Reclaim trackbed or slew from Yardley Road to Castle Ashby Estate. Open country to Denton Road and a new deviation is required to avoid Piddington Station site.

h.      New road bridge over Denton Road and Brafield Road and a deviation slightly to the south of Northampton International Raceway Brafield Motor Sports.

i.        Renew bridges through Great Houghton which lends itself to a halt, ditto Brackmills Industrial Estate and University of Northampton Riverside Campus.

j.        New access over or under railway between Salthouse and A428

k.       New access over or under London Road, must duck to go under Towcester Road Bridge and new crossing over Bury Port Road or under or bridge the railway.

l.        Rebuild the railway between Pomfret Close and St Leonards Court to Castle Station.

m.    Reconfigure Northampton southern approach tracks to enable cross over into Platforms 1, 2 and 3 from Brackmills and London directions and merger.

n.      Could a platform 4 be installed west of Platform 3? This would enable more operational flexibility. Maybe another under pass under the A4500 road bridge could be inserted to enable more tracks?

Conclusion: The problems are not insurmountable and as with Olney we face as per any other reopening or rebuilding or new build railway or road way, the choice of compulsory purchase and demolition/relocation or avoidance by modest deviations. The greatest (Olney) is about 1 mile east to west arcing, the least is utilising what is still open countryside. The aggregate benefits of the railway lend itself to leisure, recreation as well as a handy public transport choice and mode which speeds end to end commute timings attracting more users to choose public transport than the lowest common denominator if you can’t afford a car and have to take what is on offer of a 1.5-hour durational end to end journey of just 21.5 miles. It is hoped future studies will bear these pointers in mind and look at solutions wanting the railway reopened than problems to oppose the railway not facing the default consequences of congestion, queues, parking access issues and costs spiralling which affects everyone.

__Fill In, Tear Off and Send with Your Subscription. Please help us recruit more members! __

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Tick if a New Member: o_____

Tick if renewing as an existing member: o_____

Name: __________________________

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Membership is £10 per year*

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There are voluntary jobs to do such as keeping records, raising funds, recruiting new people and ensuring the association achieves more of its aims. It is voluntary.

Signed: ___________________________ Dated: ____________________

Please send completed form to ERTA Membership: Mr Richard Pill, ERTA, 24c St Michael’s Road, Bedford, MK40 2LT or see https://ertarail.com/membership/

Re: N/2018/0264/'Land for Road Development at St James Mill Road'

                                                                                                                                                06 March 2018

Press Release

Re: N/2018/0264/'Land for Road Development at St James Mill Road'

ERTA has lodged an objection to this proposed local road infill scheme. We are concerned it will impinge in a detrimental way the former Northampton-Bedford/Brackmills Branch corridor and make reopening much harder if not prohibitively so. We are of the view, following positive studies in the last 20 years beit the Handley Study, LSMMMS, Capita Symonds for Connex and several others, which indicate the line could provide a worthwhile role and function beneficial to the areas it would serve including Northampton. We are of the view the railway would enable a quicker transit between Northampton and Bedford, East-West Rail to Cambridge – quicker and cheaper than changing at Bletchley; fast single train access to Luton Airport Station and the Waterside Campus. The rejuvenation of the town centres with more footfall and spend minus the traffic is another benefit commensurate to make this corridor worthy of protection, further study, case making and appeal to Chris Grayling to invest in re-railing Northampton. The road scheme seems to link 2 congestion hot spots with no way out of the current congested London Road artery.

Richard Pill, ERTA Media Spokesperson said “This is short termism at best and myopia at worst failing to see the wider picture. The road scheme at cost of a railway option for Northampton is extremely parochial and just filters traffic into already congested road arteries. Our call is cut traffic and nurture walking, cycling and better public transport options”

End of Press Release

Further comment: Mr Richard Pill, ERTA Media Spokesperson T. 01234 330090/E. richard.erta@gmail.com

Download this pro-forma model letter and add you objection to the St James' Link Road to protect the integrity of the railway corridor please:

Free pdf emailed newsletter offer!

The March-April Newsletter of ERTA is now out and a complimentary copy can be requested without obligation via Mr Richard Pill, richard.erta@gmail.com. Thank you. Here's our front page!

Bedford-Bletchley new trains but are they detri-mental?

http://vivarail.co.uk/

https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/vivarail-s-d-trains-confirmed-for-bedford-bletchley

Vivarail Trains have been ordered for the operation of the Bedford-Bletchley local all stopper passenger trains. Key question is:
1. Do they have forward seating - leisure line - people like to see out of windowns/charm/appeal/selling point.
2. Will they have capacity to take bikes, luggage, bags, perishables, post/other light weight transit commodities as well as people? Capacity enhanced or restricted in a context of being marketed by professionals for growth? If their task is merely keep topping up whilst the service hemmorraghes over all that could be akin to a hampser on the tread mill?! A job, but dysfunctional if overall performance is not enhanced.
3. Will the trains be DOO or retain a Guard/Conductor?
4. Will timetable be enhanced to clock face hourly off peak and half hourly peak am/lunch and pm?
5. Will there be a Sunday and Bank Holiday service introduced in a timely manner?
6. Will these trains be able to cope with the gradient up to Ridgmont from Bedford and keep pace in all weathers?
7. Will these trains retain a toilet provision as now?
In short, is this 'welcomed news/good news' story a real advance or merely a changing of the guard from clapped out 153 and 150 sprinters to old London Underground rolling stock, refurbished to service Cinderlla Branch Lines as a prelude to closure or Tram or Guided Busway/truncation? If it were Turbo type trains I'd have more confidence, but sadly I feel we're being fobbed off by professionals who drive along the line and go to meetings but are lack lustre and fail to grasp, let alone bring off what is long standing issues and long over due upgrade to a more serious investment and operation including end to end (yes East-West Rail will offer that but Open Access invites for a Watford-Bedford-Corby-Melton Mowbray and either Nottingham via reopening Old Dalby branch or circular via Syston and Leicester and back - giving commuters more options?) and diversity of services. The Steer Davis Gleave Report circa 2001 said a new station serving the Retail Park and footbridge at Kempston would bring and extra 100 passengers daily to the local service - how much more today? Yet we hear nothing on this window of robust opportunity born of investment? Likewise electrifcation infill between WCML and Midland Main Line/Bletchley/Bedford could allow Southern's West London to do one train to MK Central and one to Bedford and Corby ultimately going forward, giving Southern a half hourly pathing between Bletchley and Watford. Want to speed LNW services up and run more semi fasts? Share stations out with Southern and all get more for more.
Alas again, secret society amongst networks remains and the public are none the wiser! 

We need to democratise the transport industry and bring back something akin to the former Transport Users Consultative Committees (TUCC's)? http://vivarail.co.uk/ 

Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CelebBedfordBletchleyRly/

Northampton – Bedford Rail Reopenings Committee

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