Support pro-affirma the rebuilding of a Northampton-Market Harborough Rail Link

FYI Please respond and support the rebuild of a Northampton-Market Harborough rail link. We need it even with Rugby-Narborough and solutions to problems with finding backers to help push it forward are welcome to entertain. Our events page on our website has recently been updated. Please feel free to tap in. https://ertarail.co.uk/events/ 

Our thanks to Cllr Dominic Fosker for giving us notice. 

My thoughts on the rail link are:

a. The trackbed needs widening to cater for plethora uses as a 'green corridor' inclusive of walk-way, cycle-way, railway.

b. It would link Oxford-Milton Keynes/Aylesbury with Leicester/East Midlands and vice versa inclusive of Northampton as a main beneficiary.

c. Tracks can be lowered for tunnel 9'6 clearances for freight and with a north-west curve, would enable direct running to / from DIRFT.

d. Would take on the M1 as a parallel rail alternative for passenger and freight

e. Market Harborough end would need some new alignment and linkage with the Midland Main Line.

f. Nothing is trouble free, but we need to restore strategic missing rail alternatives.

g. Studies done hitherto show positive case merits and these should be built on/consolidated.

h. A508 corridor grows, more traffic and congestion ends up at urban centres and land use parking demand exacerbates and needs stemming at source. 

i. Buses can link with rail and feed each other, does not translate to a challenge per se as these transport modes cater for different audiences. Buses have a largely stabilized audience pattern, whereas rail deals with bulk and gets people out of their cars as per other reopenings can illustrate. Hope helpful.

j. Trains could also run onto the Brackmills Branch for freight (Industrial Market) and passenger - clearing through lines for other pathing/services. THe Brackmills Branch could have wait-over capacity for trains between turns in some cases.

You can NOW read the climate emergency action plan and have your say at:

www.harborough.gov.uk/climateconsultation

Paper copies, for those without the internet, are available at Broughton Astley, Lutterworth and Market Harborough libraries. Alternatively, people can complete the survey, via telephone, with a customer service advisor, by making an appointment on 01858 828282.

Please, please do contribute, and share widely!

Please also write in support of rebuilding the railway to MP Mr Chris Heaton-Harris - Constituency includes much of the old route and as Rail Minister needs to practise what Government touts in his own back yard of route protection, delivery plan and putting the railway first in critical decision making/resourcing and implementation in a timely manner - there is a Climate Emergency! https://www.heatonharris.com/news/northampton-market-harborough-train-line