12 years left to avert
climate change!
That is the dramatic picture painted by teams of climate change researchers and
scientific scrutiny. Yet the reality is that it coincides with reports of
catastrophic consequences impacting lives and communities of air pollution from
congestion, emissions and from Sulphur and Nitrogen-Dioxides to particles from
chemical spraying, braking and rubber. Taking the long-term view, we can see
the closures locked into our whole way of doing things to roads for majority of
passenger and goods mobility; globalism has boosted aviation to a top strata of
masse usage/demand. As far as land-based transport goes – a key element is a
rolling programme of local line rebuilds/reopenings/new builds for passenger
and freight with start up capital funds by Government indicating leadership for
modal shift through more choice and capacity, which would be a step in the
right direction. Our ERTA Reopenings Pamphlet – available off our website –
calls for a modest 33 such schemes to be considered for the English Regions;
Wales and Scotland have their own already. If the principal road artery between
London and Birmingham along the M1 and M6 is 25mph due to volume/capacity, a
railway at 125mph seems quite fast enough to be competitive on time, if not
price? So why are we wasting £100 billion + on HS2 which cannot even cater for
freight whereas a partial rebuilt Great Central railway could? Government
stalls on the announcement for a preferred route for a Bedford-Cambridge rail
link, which means a ribbon could be cut for opening in 12 years’ time when it
will be too little, too late and many areas will still be locked into road
reliance. What of technology turning our planes and shipping ‘greener’ using
renewable energy? Sounds far off and many are insistent that time is critical.
ERTA continues to sow seeds and interject ideas, but relies on the public to
yes vote with their feet where they can like walking, cycling, using bus and
train, but also joining and giving of their time to help usher our projects
along. In short there is something we can all do, without costing the earth! If
Government cannot determine the direction and rolling out of schemes like
Bedford-Cambridge, the strategic infrastructure for accommodating growth and
denting trends to damaging effects, then there is intransigence at play. The
old route was the most direct route. Some needs modest deviations but end to
end it should be recoverable if we get on with directing intent of purpose and
actions commensurate now. Alternative routes are National Infrastructure
Commission (NIC) direct line via Wixams to Shepreth which avoids Bedford or
another idea which is a South Cambs ‘no railway here’ back door suggestion to
have a railway well away from Gamlingay and surrounds. Leadership is required,
not paralysis and when route is finalised/published, then consultation, then
Inquiry and Transport and Works Act, a 12-year delivery period seems about
right! It should never have been closed by stealth by Government and local
areas should be compensated for the subsequent damage its absence has informed
beit road congestion and costs or pollution, health and quality of life
erosion.
Further reading and
sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/17/air-pollution-kills-more-people-in-the-uk-than-in-sweden-us-and-mexico
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