Update at 28-09-23
Notice of ERTA Guildford-Horsham
Working Party: Saturday 18th November in the Jubilee Room, 2-4pm business, Guildford United
Reform Church Building, 83 Portsmouth Road, Guildford, GU2 4BS T. 01483
569 822 https://guildfordurc.org.uk/
All welcome.
The purpose of the Working Party is to
offer/assign everyone a role and area of responsibility, grow teams and
progress the what needs doing as determined. It is not a talk shop or
discussion forum as such, it must be hands-on. Please try and assist with making thing work
and enabling things to get done. Richard is chairing and is in coordination and
delegation role. It needs local people to engage and show leadership based on
sound judgement.
To register to attend, please email richard.erta@gmail.com to go on an email loop. Thank you.
Media Coverage at 28-08-23:
Dear All,
There's been a lot of talk and campaigning over the years to get this rail line reopened for regular passenger and possible freight-by-rail use.
To these ends, how ERTA operates is for people to join as members and offer to voluntarily assist with tasks which need doing. Having more local people involved brings not only the wealth of their local knowledge, but also the prospect of more other local people identifying and being willing to also join and get involved.
ERTA could do once a year public meetings in Guildford and Horsham to gather the great and good, but we need a pulling together Working Group meeting in Guildford to pursue and take-on delegated roles and collaborate loosely together with a view to moving the agenda towards ultimate delivery.
Getting a study needs local people to write to existing and prospective politicians and winning their support, getting councils on board. They demand audits and studies, which we are not equipped to do and road upgrades are evaluated by professionals at cost, not lay people, so we need equitable standards and values operating between road and rail for example.
If you are interested in the Working Group idea, starting preliminaries in November 2023 with a bi-monthly chipping away February 2024.
Things we need are:
1. Field Officers to know the line well 'now', compile lists and photographic evidence of issues to be addressed in a systematic and chronological order. E.g. level crossings/bridges, pinch-points, any blockages or threats of blockages. To keep on top of it.
2. Specific council/including Cranleigh Town Council with a view to winning them over that the gains outweigh the pains.
3. Getting professionals interested and establishing a funding pot - beit via council or ring-fencing via ERTA.
4. Building local support along and at both ends and feeding into ERTA Membership.
5. Seeking to act at Local Area Reps for ERTA, seek stalls and recruit support and members.
6. Write to local media selling the good idea concept of reopening and encourage the good idea to be adopted in planning policy and actions to forward towards processes for rebuilding the line as a local, modern public transport asset - heavy rail solution for more people and goods by rail.
7. I understand it is MP's to Councils to Government and public support. Then we need a power with authority to be able to say 'here's the cheque, move please'. I am convinced there's an overwhelming need, case and demand for this missing rail link. Further afield, the Arundel Curve for Horsham to South Coast to Brighton wrap around and then the issue of whether a direct new-build Shoreham rail link can be done, should be done and how to do given blockages and issues abounding including Tim Loughton MP saying over 20 years no-one has suggested reopening the railway and there's no case or it is too far gone? This is the sort of work a roving Working Group could usher along. It need not be the only effort, we can all update each other and liaise. But a pulse is needed and life needs to be put into the collective effort to progress matters.
If interested in going on a list for future looping, please email back to that effect. I attach 2 diagrams, not the last word, but a planting of ideas of intent. The Working Group can produce others for its purposes and cross 'i's and dot t's.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Pill
ERTA CEO
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