Getting from a to b in reopenings and rebuilding railway terms – a layman’s view:

Getting from a to b in reopenings and rebuilding railway terms – a layman’s view:

I have limited access to resources and mobility.

I have never worked in the rail or transport industry.

However, I am qualified to degree standard and have been active in railway interests since childhood first with observing the progress of the preservation movement in the late 1970’s especially the Ffestiniog Railway and the break through to Blaenau Ffestiniog and then in 1981 I joined the newly fledgling Bedford Bletchley Rail Users Association (BBRUA), met Mr Richard Crane its Chairman, served on it and the Railway Development Society (RDS) predecessor to Railfuture from 1985-1987 and helped convene the first meeting of what became the Oxon and Bucks Rail Action Committee (OBRAC) in 1986 and stayed with them until 1987.

In 1987 I founded the Bedford and Sandy Rail Reopening Association (BASRRA) and in 1990 the first Bedfordshire Branch of Transport 2000 which (nationally) today in known as Campaign for Better Transport (CBT). I ran T2000 until 1994, had a break for 3 years and then in 1997 inaugurated the Bedfordshire Railway and Transport Association known as ‘BRTA’. That ran until 2008 when we realised that there was a wider dimension to localism and immediate re-railing agendas and needed to court a wider dynamic appeal and also make solidarity with other people elsewhere in similar positions. In 2013 the English Regional Transport Association (ERTA) was inaugurated and I have been elected as its Chairman.

The point is that if they can face an obstacle like a lake and an electricity generating station in the way of the bid to get back to Blaenau and come up with a creative solution ‘take the railway to a higher level, blast a new tunnel and clear the side of a mountain and re-join the old alignment into Blaenau’; why is it that we face such fuss and monumental barriers, costs and obstructions when it comes to realigning on relatively flat lands, using often adjacent fields to get round where blockages have occurred and indeed in some cases, for the greater good, have a stance of ‘here’s the cheque, move please’? We are talking about 12 units/houses per time in numerous locations or one big obstruction or combinations?

Given that the lion’s share of closures occurred in the 1960’s (some before and afterwards granted) we are now talking 50+ years since the withdrawal of infrastructure, 50 years of development, change and patterns of lifestyle, business and behaviour which has adapted, forgotten and largely indifferent to what was once there and generally has moved on in accepting terms. Obviously, it is unpleasant if a home or businesses is asked to relocate even with compensation packages. But given the woeful neglect of trackbed corridors by all tiers of Government, who equally must take a share of blame for the predicament we are in. They also need to feel the weight of responsibility to rectify and balance the demands for re-railing, modal shift, the environment, air pollution and carbon emissions with the operational needs of business, people and communities. We are a roads, rubber and fossil fuel laden society. The rail network is absent in many cases. The challenge is getting from this low point to re-railing, plugging glaring gaps and optimising the switch from road to rail in passenger and freight terms from day one. Too much waffle about 2050 goals and deadlines, we don’t have that luxury in a climate emergency – akin to a paramedic saying to a caller, I’ll call round after breakfast, when they need seeing to asap! Its maybe like portraits of contextualisms between Wind in the Willows and Gone with the Wind! Many badgers abound, what we need are aces who can get things done, lawfully yes, but delivery and cost times down, focused, pithily so and produce products people will use and buy into and indeed before, during and after be investors and share holders in. What works, we need it doing. Many have struggled. Some companies are doing lower cost/lower specification trains for local lines, smaller projects and operations but we don’t have the equivalent track relaying/rebuild using old or recycled tracks to get something running and investing to continually upgrade and refine to Network Rail Standards. We used to have the old Light Rail Orders which permitted running up to 25 mph – the speed being obvious – to prevent casualties if things go wrong. 9/10 times they do not, but the need to have a ‘light touch’ get started all, encompassing company which delivers railways – track, trains, signalling, timetables, car parks, lighting, stations, toilets, disabled access and yes passenger and freight revenue generating operations and feeds/links with a Network Rail portal for wider feed into and out of is missing currently and is much needed.

If you agree, why not join our email newsletter loop and make for solidarity with us in the quest? richard.erta@gmail.com We need help, we need answers, we need working solutions. I fear HS2 has given the endeavour a bad name. But even so, if a road or motorway they just compulsory purchase and just plough through, with a railway it is a much more protracted affair. Maybe put rails on motorways and charge trunk roads for the privilege!