Report on Brackmills Meeting, Northampton 26-02-2022 by Richard Pill
The Brackmills
meeting was intended to discuss matters pertaining to the re-railing of the
Northampton Castle Station to Brackmills Industrial Estate as a rail link for
better public transport, freight by rail and general accessibility more than
the current situation informs. In a background of growing developments of
various sorts across the whole Northampton area beit business, warehouses and
residential estates, the direct linkage to increased traffic and associated
congestion is a major local problem and ever apparent.
Northampton
has a reasonable north-south West Coast Main Line (WCML) railway but a lack of
east-west radial rails and a lack of a direct rail link with its regional
partners in the East Midlands like Leicester, Nottingham and Derby for example,
means all north-south movements tend to go by road including the congested M1
and A508 for example. ERTA dearly wants to see the Northampton-Market
Harborough rail link put back with deviations where blockages exist and new
build where necessary. The end-to-end linkage and benefits should not be
under-estimated. However, the way ahead to get it delivered is equally as
challenging and Government seems to be sending mixed messages to say the least
on road and rail. Road has a much, much greater budget for expansion than rail
and yet, despite COP26 and the concerned about a need for modal shift, cutting
emissions and the sheer inefficiencies of congestion, Government panders to the
construe of a roads-based society with rail as a nicety, but acting as if
expendable commodity and approaching it as a middle-class play thing, whereas
it should be mainstay for most freight and local-regional people movements. It
once was, the closures secured the trend towards roads locked-in and only
reopening can rebalance our transport infrastructure and inform more modal
choices for all.
The meet, the
first of its kind, attracted some 12 representatives and was generally a
constructive and outward looking event. It covered yes, the Brackmills Branch
Re-Rail Project, but also other rail issues across Northamptonshire
specifically but reaching out for partnerships where common support could be
found. So items included taking Brackmills Re-Rail forward and the
technicalities involved like Northampton Station layout, capacity, reconnecting
the branch to north-south lines and through running into platforms. The road
bridge could be reconfigured/replaced, platforms could be reconfigured, and
these issues serve a wider purpose than just Brackmills interest, it could
create more tracks and capacity for current and future other growths including
serving DIRFT and Northampton Freight Depot, trains to Market Harborough and
Leicester northwards and Milton Keynes, Oxford, Swindon, Aylesbury and Old Oak
Common southwards.
Other
highlights were in sum:
A, Daventry:
Harry Burr is pioneering a new station and/or new rail link to the Daventry area
B. David
Ferguson flagged up a new station for Roade to catch growing development and
the A508 south of Northampton saving people driving into the town centre if
they wish to travel to places like Milton Keynes and London for example or
indeed visiting further north beyond Northampton with less drive-time.
C.
Northampton-Market Harborough serves multiple linkages and could enable, with a
north-west curve at the Northampton end direct running to DIRFT.
D. On the
Northampton Loop Line, a third track could be looked at for more freight by
rail. HS2 is supposed to free up capacity, but more by rail needs more tracks
on existing lines and reopenings for greater connectivity as to what rail can
provide/tap into new markets.
E. Stations on
the Midland Main Line, now electrification to Corby and Market Harborough
has/is happening. Places like Oakley, Sharnbrook, Irchester (serving wider
Rushden), Burton Latimer, Desborough and Kibworth should be looked at. The slow
lines can provide separate local services to fast-lines which only stop at
principal stations. Spacing stations out at 5–10-mile distances enable even
distribution of patronage and spreads the load with the gains.
F. Brackmills
needs better public transport for people and goods options. The No. 41 bus
service linking Bedford and Northampton has been cut to 1.5 hours interval
frequency and takes 1.5 hours journey duration. This is unacceptable for
courting regular usage and serving the potential commute, business and
visitorship the two towns could be doing with each other if a new faster
end-to-end service was fostered. Spiral up or down, it is down currently and
for those who want more flexibility, X5 Bedford-MK Central and train to
Northampton is the best option it appears, albeit more expensive!
Conclusion: Oh, that all
Under 65’s were given concessionary bus and rail passes if on £20, 000 p.a. or
less and Government backed a drive to greater usage of the public transport
system. What will it take to inform modal shift? A lot more than the spiralling
down of public transport and the ability to make public transport much more
amenable, affordable and accessible. Currently this is not the case and
whatever it takes, should be where Power, Authority and Resource Stewardship should
be leading from the front. Meanwhile, incremental line and station reopenings,
offer a life-line for optimising the getting more people and goods back on the rails
in greater and lesser volumes. We can all do our bit and ERTA will do what it
can as well.
https://ertarail.co.uk/ For a copy of the notes from the meeting, please email richard.erta@gmail.com
People at the meeting:
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