Call to protect former rail routes more.

Despite the good news on East-West Rail and the Government getting the ball rolling on allocation of reopening bid grants funds, there is a real need for Government to act now to protect former rail routes to keep options for reopening open. Currently the projects we are ERTA are concerned with have such threats like:

a. Olney - development battles continue and a study is needed to look at alternative routes just as they have done on Bedford-Cambridge.

b. Guildford-Cranleigh - a canal utilising the old trackbed is threatening the current trackbed corridor used currently as a footpath/cycleway. 

c. Woodhead and Don Valley Railways are under threat and need public support to protect from development encroachments and keep options for rebuilding as realistic possibilities.

These are examples, others abound. Planning Policy Guidance 13 (PPG13) is a toothless tiger and more stringent inducements for councils to protect routes and deviation spaces - even making them Grade 2 status listing or some configuration thereof is needed. Our Westminster Team will be pressing for more. It has vacancies.

Please do feel free to enquire further on any of the above - a letter is attached and you can write in support of protecting the trackbed there. I attach a letter from the DfT on east-west rail and our updated trackbed protection brochure. Newsletter will be sent out on Monday. This is a busy time for us and we welcome people to offer to join/help/offer to help and one way to support is to book and come to our conference please: https://www.ertarail.com/conference-2020

Any enquiries via Mr Simon Barber: T. 0208 940 4399, E. simon4barber@gmail.com Simon works hard for the association and it can only continue with more reliable helpers and adequate resources. Please consider what you can offer, we wish to overcome obstacles, not be overcome by them! Thank you.