The proposed scheme: https://www.
Has these things against it:
1. There is no proof that it will alleviate the area of traffic nor congestion. Sure it acts as a conduit for traffic but such schemes are often found to increase traffic pull and thus ends up with more severe congestion. This especially true at junctions, which jam up causing delay to access on and off such roads. For example, whilst this article is more a broader canvas, it works back to local situations including large magnet conurbations like expanding Northampton, adjacent to M1 and principal east-west roads with no equivalent rail choices, locking in roads only inflated demand and journeys. https://www.driving.
2. At very least, this road must be made to bridge the former Northampton-Market Harborough rail corridor, keeping re-railing options open whether it be a Network Rail or Preservation or combinations with pedestrian and cycle provision alongside suitably fenced off. Only in the last 2 years have studies been done to examine the feasibility of reopening such a line and courted Ministerial support, but not followed up with applications to the Government's Rail Study Fund to buoy up the case as a candidate for shovel ready/spades on the ground delivery in a timely manner as befits putting Northampton on a corridor which could link Oxford, Milton Keynes, Northampton with Leicester and the East Midlands and vice versa. Think what that flow of footfall and spend could offer to ailing town centres, minus extra traffic and cars? We must not throw such a golden opportunity away for a road scheme of dubious credentials or even if you think it has merit, should not be allowed to scupper the rail link aspiration surely?
Please support the rail link initiative and amend or reject the road scheme to give more time for alternative options to be considered. Northampton is expanding in all directions but the closures of local lines hit the town of its size hard and despite rapid expansion in the 1970's and onwards, have not been rectified. Likewise, if we do not keep options and corridors open, we throw away recovery chances.
Only last Saturday we appointed a Volunteer Project Officer to take re-railing of the railway to the Brackmills Industrial Estate, to enable more people to access the site by public transport and surrounds and alleviate road congestion which is adding time and cost to deliveries to and from the area. Choices are vitally needed and we appeal to you to leave a legacy that the County foresaw the issues and took steps to leave a support life-line to keep options open. The England's Economic Heartland (EEH) supports a new rail link between Banbury-Daventry-Northampton and a curve from north-west at the foot of the Northampton-Market Harborough rail link revived, could enable freight trains to serve DIRFT from a wider base relieving existing lines with more capacity for more trains to serve the Northampton area generally. If you allow such a road scheme to destroy the old formation or put pressure on its demise as a principal future rail access route, then it is a downward spiral of missed opportunities. We appeal to you to amend the road or reject it pending further incorporation of the rail aspiration into a joint transport strategy with delivery in mind please. The old route could, with sensible policy and planning be broadened out to include a preservation operation, a Network Rail through line and a green corridor cycle-footpath provision. Likewise the railway corridor could be electrified and so width and height clearances need to be taken into account. Further blockages makes costs and reopening harder and like the successful Borders Railway, rectifying takes some doing. But as the Borders rebuild shows, the benefits are robust even in a mainly rural location. In short, people will use rail where expedient, notwithstanding the current circumstances.
http://www.bordersrailway.co.
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