Update 27-09-23
Notice of next ERTA Beds Forum: ERTA Beds Forum: 12 Noon Lunch, 13.00 – 15.00
business Wednesday 25th October at the upstairs part of Costa
Coffee,
20 Silver Street, Bedford MK40 1SU https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g190737-d12674960-Reviews-Costa_Coffee-Bedford_Bedfordshire_England.html
All welcome. An agenda will be issued on the day. Things like discussion around
better public transport and specifics like a station for the Retail Park Kempston
on the Bedford-Bletchley Railway etc. This is a change of venue as the King
William is unavailable apparently. Please join us and let’s keep the wheels
turning in Bedfordshire a little more sustainably! Enquiries welcome via richard.erta@gmail.com
T. 07752 096 392
01-09-23 Update
Thanks for your continued interest and support. I attach our latest newsletter and press release. Thanks to a Freedom of Information request we now have a copy of the 2020 study for reopening a new Northampton-Market Harborough rail link and basically, the benefits are numerous but shaving Northampton-Leicester timings from 90 minutes to somewhere about 35 minutes each way could revolutionise footfall and spend minus congestion equalling benefits more!
Indeed, with an Oxford-Milton Keynes and Northampton rail reopening from the south (takes on A43 and A421 corridors) and Northampton-Market Harborough takes on (A508 and M1), the wins for social, economic and environmental benefits are not wild dreams, but hard facts and opportunities which demand a more supportive response.
ERTA believes that on the one hand demand for endless studies presents a complicated maths and funding barrier, then if you are so lucky, there's no money to pay for the physical infrastructure. Yet roads are evaluated not by lay people but publicly paid professionals, there's gross inequality in favour of roads despite a climate emergency. How we tackle these issues, the we being tiers of governance and public coming together to put a commonsensical approach and greater levelling up to actually get 'spades in the ground' not endless report production, report trading, endless conferences, high paid salaries around organised discussions, whilst 'Rome burns', remains a key problem to address.
Tiers of governance, tiers of inequality but open opportunities in a context of cost-ratios and diminutives, means act now, you get savings, keep putting off or fearing costs whilst some councils are thread-bare, should not be a barrier for constructive collaboration and working at reopening local rail links for the benefits they offer for people and goods.
If you are not a member of ERTA, please join. If you can tap into our meetings and give us support, please do. The following give a wealth of information: https://ertarail.co.uk/events/ and https://ertarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/
ERTA is not a talk-shop, we are action stations with every volunteer asked for reliability, everyone having a role and responsibility. We are not in the game of chuck a tenna and let us graft, rather we are as good as a growing and active membership informs. Want more in your area? Join, become an Area Rep and act, grow a team, recruit new members and together we are stronger. My role is delegatory and coordination as best one may. Thank you.
Our newsletter is out now, get a free email copy via richard.erta@gmail.com
Press Release
“Reopening rail line could cut Northampton to Leicester journey
time from 90 to 35 minutes”
Funding is being
called to complete an interim 2020 Network Rail feasibility study on reopening
the Northampton to Market Harborough railway line.
The population of
Northamptonshire has considerably grown since the line was closed in 1981.
Northamptonshire has the highest population growth of the UK and amongst the
poorest rail access. We are all familiar with the difficulties travelling
between Northampton and Leicester using the M1. Congestion at all stages is a
frequent problem.
'Restoring this
rail line would transform commuting between Northampton and Leicester'
says Mr Richard Pill, CEO of the English Regional Transport
Association. (ERTA).
The present railway timetable from Northampton to Leicester takes
around 90 minutes depending on where you change trains. A Network Rail 2020
interim study obtained under the Freedom of Information Act demonstrated
that a 35-minute journey time is realistic. The mileage for the line given on
the Network Rail document is 15.9 miles. Reopening the Northampton to Market
Harborough, with 2 station calls could take another 17.5 minutes. *See note.
It would address transport exclusion in North Northamptonshire and
South Leicestershire.
Completing this study takes one year. Should the study demonstrate
a clear economic case it could then be taken forward through the Rail Reopening
Scheme. The English Regional Transport Association (ERTA) held a
successful public meeting in Market Harborough in March. A public meeting is
planned for the 30th September at Quaker House, Northampton details via https://ertarail.co.uk/events/
End Press Release
Further comment, please
contact: Professor Andrew Williams 07923489254 anw@doctors.org.uk
or broader comment: Mr Richard Pill ERTA CEO 01234 330090 richard.erta@gmail.comNote:
We have
added 2 minutes for the train from Northampton
waiting on the platform at MK
station and the small
remainder as a contingency.
14-08-23 Update
Funny how the media after championing for 40 years new roads equal less congestion, only to find our town is as congested as ever. Some oppose east-west rail, but our view is that east of Bedford via St Johns would be better and enable more for less. However, such a rail link is required if we are to see overall gridlock reduced through choice and modal shift nurtured. ERTA has put forward a programme of adaptations and welcomed media interest and public and elected representative support please. This is no time for head-in-the-sand approaches or status quo as more development of the wrong kind goes in in rural and periphery places informing more traffic and bus and rail cuts for want of government and public engagement and rebalancing to ensure public transport usage is increasing, more capacity, affordability and comprehensiveness.
Social Housing near bus routes makes sense, ditto Stations North of Bedford, Ampthill and the Retail Park to give more diverse access and usage other than total car reliance. ERTA welcomes people with cars to help disabled people campaign for better public transport. We are not anti car, but rather the High Street was pedestrianised fully, traffic diverted via a one-way St Cuthberts except for buses, Newnham Road and along the Embankment to the Town Bridge.
https://www.rmt.org.uk/campaigns/rail/save-ticket-offices/?preview=true
Yes, I know this is a union page, but it is full of links and useful information if you agree that the closure of ticket offices is a bad thing and disenfranchises loads of people from accessing rail travel easily. Please tap in and explore further and add your name to opposing draconianism masked as modernisation.
If anyone wishes to join ERTA and offer to volunteer please see our website: https://ertarail.co.uk/ If any wish to join and offer to work up business cases from proposition to full blown readiness, please contact richard.erta@gmail.com and see the official site of https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transport-business-case/transport-business-case-guidance There can be a view that the funding and demands for rail reopenings are much harder than for roads and there is an inherent inequality there which needs challenging. We aim to play along with the system and take it on, whilst also calling for reform and simplification of systems and processes to enable local discretion and commonsensical and pragmatic 'do it' means and ways for fostering and nurturing a full blown rail reopening/new build. Will you help us? This is what we need please. Thanks very much.
Meanwhile our Blogspit (scroll down) also has a plethora of news and calls-to-action: https://ertarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/ and our website has our Autumn Programme listed on it for people to tap in if they wish - geography need not be a barrier - if you're willing to help, that is a gateway to getting things done and we welcome it: https://ertarail.co.uk/events/
Enjoy the rest of your summer. Newsletter early September. Our top priorities are:
1. Guildford:
a. establish a working group - I will email to establish numbers and interest first, then depending whether it exceeds the 8 people rule, will opt for Quaker Room hire (cost) This all kicks in November email, February Working Group gets underway. It will meet bi-mohtlky 2024 and if resources allow, will do exactly the same in the Horsham area.
b. to do £100 colour gloss flyers for Guildford to raise members and awareness of the working group.
c. People must be members of ERTA and everyone on the working group must have a role to focus on. No dead wood!
2. Northampton:
a. post 30th September Public Meeting, establish a working group - to meet Quaker Room, November 2023 and bi-monthly thereafter. Same rules apply.
b. for it to be the main ERTA work and focus for moving the agenda by dint, stint, means and ways along for fostering support for the 2 principal railways. I accept Northampton-MH must come first and our weakness is the Leicester end push in reach, range, members and resource terms. In Northampton we have a nucleus of people growing and bringing them and that together makes a lot of sense. Too big for mass leafleting but planning the next Public Meeting for 2024 Spring, seems the pattern to adopt with 121 or focused 2on2 type meetings to hone in on winning individuals like we recently tried with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Northampton.
3. Reading - looking for a suitable room-hire venue near the main railway station. That would be to bring the whole West County spectrum together within my budget and reasonable day train travel access terms.
4. Summer is out and about from the South Coast to Sheffield and Shrewsbury/Wrexham for Daniel and joint working etc.
5. So Guildford, Northampton are the constant, others testing and gauging support, recruiting and so on.
6. Bedfordshire, seeking to model example of what area reps elsewhere can aspire towards. Ditto Northampton and Guildford as well. It is a bi-monthly rolving forum and I am mindful of Market Harborough as well. Common to all is development marching and a lack of support, land set aside for rail purposes and balancing these competing demands.
In general, it is no use people keep adding and suggesting stations elsewhere unless we have the people and resources. Croxley has Tony covering it and ideally our local members would rally to inform a Herts east-west spread. If the Radlett Depot (same company as Northampton SEGRO) gives talks at both that will be a coupe for us especially if they could be persuaded to join or sponsor ads as well as others - please ask. Enquiries welcome via richard.erta@gmail.com Our AGM Picture Below:
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