The old has gone, the new has come... well not quite yet! But the railway, closed approx. 1983 should be considered for rebuilding. This could be done now, if the will and way can be found. It does not mean using every inch of the former railway, some of which has been severely blocked or compromised but the old route could form a basis of a new railway surely with realignments and deviations where blockages now exist? That is an area where a study could look.
Why reopen? Linking the two distinct towns and also regional links means that this missing rail link corridor would provide handy communications linking key areas with differing needs to mutual benefit.
I attach a basic introductory report I have compiled to explain a bit more and wish to state that our desire is to carry people with us and inform a ground swell of support for the rail link to be restored. Given 4000 more houses going in around the area, the question of 2.5 cars per household - there being little other choice - raises the question of where will that traffic all go? Roads are congestion, parking and land use allocation is at a premium and given these trends have bedded in since the closure over 35 years ago, we need to think where do we wish to be heading 5, 10 or indeed the next 30 years time? Clearly trends cannot go on as they are left to a laissez-fare market solves everything outcome. We plan for housing, can we plan for the consequences which could and should include restored public transport infrastructure as the rail link could inform?
We wish to see fostered a dialogue with local authorities and MP's at all tiers of representation and by agreeing a new railway is a good idea, we agree the principle and if the principle is correct, then to form consortia and pool resources and invest in a robust case making study or studies to make the case and inform a platform to take it to the next stage - the consortium would include rail industry as well - to the Network Rail GRIP processes and Department for Transport/Whitehall backing as a regional and local investment.
Taking Cowbit as an example, if we deviate around the location now, lands need to be protected to keep a railway option open and a new station on the edge of the 'now' town could be provided for local and longer distance commutes in and out. In 10 years time, the current cordon will expand and so deciding the principle of intent for a railway now, means we can plan to include lands for realignment and thus a railway going forward.
Deeping St Nicholas has been called for to have a new station. Whilst the proposed rail depot seems to have gone quiet, the upsurge of freight using current lines would indicate sidings at some location for waitover trains and stabling will be required and the new under pass north of Peterborough at £100 million, preludes growth and a more direct line could save a lot of time and adds to the case for the railway. At the March end, maybe if Whitemoor Prison cannot be amended to make way for a restored railway, you could look at a new spur off the old Wisbech line (another reopening) from which a new link to the Spalding line could be established and share station access together? These finer details need to be examined.
On Deeping St Nicholas, the point of some rail access there is because the original junction west of built Spalding is blocked with housing, so a new junction to the west an new build accordingly is required. Should be do-able now, but needs planning support for future fostering alongside the effort needed to bring a new railway about. We at ERTA are about planting ideas and helping promote them, we need local councils and MP's to help form consortium to pool resources and help take the project forward. We are not resourced to do it ourselves. We commit to facilitate Forums to help bring people together. We have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.
I welcome your further kind interest and hope the report indicates the merit of what we are about. Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Pill
ERTA Officer
