ERTA Transport and
Environment Conference 2019
This was
held on Saturday, 27 April from 11am – 4pm at the Campanile Hotel, Milton
Keynes and it was attended by 24 people, including the speakers.
The speakers
comprised of Stephen Sleight (Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership); Cllr. Vanessa
McPake-Milton Keynes Council (East-West Rail, MK buses); Geoff Bushell (Campaign
to reopen Ivanhoe Line); Professor James Connelly (Minsters Rail Campaign); Colin
Bricher (on Northampton Light Rapid Transit); and our member Leonard Lean on a
brief talk ‘Introduction to Electrification’.
Several ERTA
members were among the attendees, and apart from Leonard Lean, these comprised
Richard Pill (who chaired the event); Tony Bush (in charge of security); Clive
Travis; Colin Crawford; David Ferguson and I - both David and I were manning
the bookstall.
In my view
the most interesting and best speakers were Stephen Sleight and Professor James
Connelly.
Stephens’
presentation on the Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership highlighted the
importance of local railway stations as part of local communities. Decent
stations encourage more people to use trains whilst at the same time members of
the community take part in improving and maintaining the station, including
pedestrian and cycle access.
James’
presentation on the Minsters Rail Campaign (reopening the railway between York
and Beverley) highlighted the fact that this proposal is included in Transport
for the North’s Strategic Transport Plan, and that his group had suggested to
Transport for the North that connectivity needs of the East Riding towns is a
top priority. His group will also draw attention to serious long-term resilience
issues affecting the main transport links between York and the East Riding/Hull
such as high tides in the Humber estuary. Reopening that line will also bring
extra capacity to the heavily-congested York-Beverley main road.
By Mr Simon
Barber
