Reopen the Gloucester-Ross-on-Wye-Hereford Rail Link

The closures coincided with gradual upgrades of roads and the result is congestion locked-in on a grand scale with land use for parking not being available for much needed housing or employment for example. Pollution and the world crisis on environmental issues abounds with few cures in sight.

We say ‘think global, act local’! Rebuilding a new Gloucester-Hereford rail link would enable Reading-Shrewsbury and beyond each end ‘not via Oxford/Birmingham’ giving freight and passengers and orbital option via some of the loveliest countryside in England, wedged between the Cotswolds and the Forest of Dean.

It would serve an immediate catchment of about a quarter of a million people as well as re-rail the jewel in the crown ‘Ross-on-Wye’ (population 10, 000 approx.) but a 3-5 miles either side of the rail corridor comes to approximately a quarter of a million people plus through use and switch from other modes given choice for example.

Please give your support by joining ERTA and join our Forums (when un-lock resumes) and get involved. Yes some blockages exist, but sensible planning and craft can overcome, realign, relocate or negotiate a way through surely, for the greater gains including sustainable development.

Visit the ERTA website https://www.ertarail.com/become-a-member and join or email to join our newsletter email loop via richard.erta@gmail.com The sky should be the limit, re-railing should be the norm.
Help make it so!

Technical stuff and drawing maps using digital technology/software is not my forte. However, if you think you could do a better job, please don't be critical or impatient but offer as a volunteer to help us and do better please. Email: Mr Simon Barber T. 0208 940 4399, E. simon4barber@gmail.com

Dossier for Gloucester-Ross-on-Wye-Hereford Rail Link – by Richard Pill May 2020

Key Factors	Associated Considerations
Introduction	English Regional Transport Association (ERTA)
What and Where	Aims and Objectives
Why and Where	Scope and Benefits
How and When	What needs to be done

Introduction: Reopen the Gloucester-Ross-on-Wye-Hereford Rail Link

The English Regional Transport Association (ERTA) sees a rolling programme of line rebuilds, reopenings and select new builds of conventional ‘local’ railways as a key element to give choices for people and goods across the English Regions and beyond.

The closures coincided with gradual upgrades of roads and the result is congestion locked-in on a grand scale with land use for parking not being available for much needed housing or employment for example. Pollution and the world crisis on environmental issues abounds with few cures in sight.

We say ‘think global, act local’! Rebuilding a new Gloucester-Hereford rail link would enable Reading-Shrewsbury and beyond each end ‘not via Oxford/Birmingham’ giving freight and passengers and orbital option via some of the loveliest countryside in England, wedged between the Cotswolds and the Forest of Dean.

It would serve an immediate as well as re-rail the jewel in the crown ‘Ross-on-Wye’ (population 10, 000 approx.); but also a 3-5 miles either side of the rail corridor comes to approximately a quarter of a million people plus through use and switch from other modes given choice for example.

In Brief: The ERTA have identified the Gloucester-Ross-on-Wye-Hereford rail link as a missing strategic rail link. It would combine a local, regional and inter-regional sustainable transit corridor for both passenger and freight movements sustainably.

What and where

·                    To rebuild the Gloucester-Ross-on-Wye-Hereford rail link with possible select intermediate stations

·                    The line diverges south west of Gloucester and heads northwards serving a vast area of natural outstanding beauty (ANOB) sandwiched between the Cotswolds and Forest of Dean.

·                    Current roads of A40, A48, B4224 and A49 for example parallel or criss-cross the railway

·                    The railway could bring rail services from London and locally Reading, Swindon and Gloucester to the corridor and onwards to Hereford, Worcester and Shrewsbury for example, bypassing and freeing up capacity elsewhere on the rail network, particularly Reading-Oxford-Leamington and enable an orbital link around Birmingham and the West Midlands.

·                    Free up capacity for more by rail with overall aggregate sustainable transport modal choice and switch.

·                    Ross-on-Wye is a major tourist location and destination and currently has no rail access, so suffers from land use parking demand, congestion and demand-supply issues; the railway would help alleviate, bring new flows of people, footfall and spend as well as an all year around feed.

Why and where

·                    Open up a large currently unserved area by rail from a variety of north and south portals

·                    Scope of reach and range by rail is London/Southampton through Reading, Swindon, Stroud and Gloucester to Hereford and thence places like Worcester, Shrewsbury and the North West ‘not via Birmingham’ and all in between for passenger and freight use.

·                    The line may have potential to source lineside freight in or out beit aggregates, farming, bulk, warehouse and other distributive services.

·                    It would be useful to have a local commute service serving new stations including Ross-on-Wye to places like Gloucester, Hereford, Cheltenham and further-afield as well as a cross-country or London Open Access or variety thereof services utilising the same tracks.

How and when

·                    What is required is firstly to try and get local councils to see the principal outline benefits from re-railing and to have them in turn support it in principle together with any other relevant quangos and parties.

·                    For a study to be commissioned to examine further the business case, environmental impact, engineering and overcoming options where any encroachments or blockages exist. Government funds are available to draw down upon towards costs of studies.

·                     Once case is made and agreement to support it further and as a coalition grows, to get Department of Transport (DFT), Network Rail GRIP and other support and permissions to proceed with building it. Ideally a 10-year timescale should be the maximum timescale from conception to delivery and reforms at all levels are being sought for by ERTA and others to make the processes and delivery schedules more in-keeping with the need for modal shift, environment benefits and a Climate Emergency.

Please object to this development and call on the Councils, the local MP and Government to protect the rail route and keep options open, not lock-in to a roads only, congested and polluted future: https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/17722078.ross-on-wye-rail-arch-to-be-demolished-for-homes/?fbclid=IwAR145PtTq0TXqL6FfcyLqxTKJvFw_6NuQrZU3Yk0wWTlcQ8WWdVqRaTBMU4

The English Regional Transport Association (ERTA) supports a rolling programme of local, conventional rail reopenings to rebalance our transport system and enable more people and goods by rail, more choice and less reliance on fossil fuel and roads-based transport default 'normatives' and to this end, planning must not be left to laissez-fare whim, but we need rail routes protected now and development tailored to keep options open. 

If we scupper through piecemeal development these contingency optiosn, we lock-in unsustainable and polluting lifestyles which are bad for our society and world. We applaud the Railway Reopenings Fund and recent announcements, but this must not be a one-off and whilst the £500 million is welcome, we note also a £32 billion road expansion funding from the Chancellor also! Clearly we have a long way to go before equity is the 'norm' not inequality. Alongside the rolling reopenings programme, we also need a route protection measure which gives incentives to Local Councils and other agencies to protect rail corridors and keep them as an option for re-railing. 

There must be carrot and stick incentives, protecting lands and deviation lands included, costs money, it is not a passive thing. Time stands still for no-one, yet from Bedford St John's, Don valley/Woodhead and now we have Gloucester - Hereford via Ross-on-Wye badly needing protection from encroaching development please.

I attach 2 brochures which I would welcome you to have a look at and give support through your channels to get the statute book to stem the tide of destruction and invest in our future transport and environmental needs please. 

I have looped the local MP's and also you, as these principle issues are happening across the regions. Please act now and feel free to keep in touch with our Vice Chairman, Mr Simon Barber who helps coordinate our Westminster Team. If we can secure MP support and they help us get councils to 'think again', there may yet be some hope or light at the end of the tunnel! Thank you.