Keswick illustrates why all politicians should plum for local rail solutions

11-06-23 update:

https://www.everylaststation.co.uk/penrith-keswick

Comment: Generally, a good campaign, courting growing support as it goes, can move forward with a few right supports working together. So we write similar examples into the script of what could be a positive scenario, and so rule nothing out, notwithstanding where people and money conjoin, we'll engage more where wanted. Will any government play ball? Ask all candidates for their views and challenge them to put forward their own reopening lists and equitable funding between new road and rail reopenings, not disproportionately roads? The wheels are turning slowly. Write/email your MP for local lines where you live - it really does matter - they ARE listening... a General Election is coming within 18 months or less!

re: https://keswickreminder.co.uk/2023/08/09/new-hope-in-campaign-to-reopen-keswick-to-penrith-railway-line/

This is fantastic news! But it is ERTA's conviction that it should be part of a major Government backed plan of a rolling programme of local-regional rail reopenings, rebuilds and select pieces of new-build x nationwide now and switch the £27 billion new roads fund to fund these rail-based local and regional transport solutions, with line plans for growing all sizes of the movement of people and goods more from roads back to rail. ERTA calls on the public to back that view and write/email their MP's for it. Opposition Parties should be drawing up lists of schemes and seeking both to forward them and slim down the barriers prohibiting them beit costs, rigmarole and that professional high cost thing called 'business cases'. Reopening rail links with reconnecting outlying populations and filling strategic gaps for modal choice, modal shift and enabling more rail choices, should be common sense. ERTA does not buy the idea that Vitorians did not know what they were doing, indeed, they wanted better transport for masse people and goods from production sites and raw materials to markets for deployment for things a modern society needs - somewhere to live, ability for mobility and moving people and goods around. It served society well and got us logistically through 2 World Wars. Beeching et al closures were too far and retrospectively have proved detrimental to the social, economic and environmental well being of society. We are far too dependent on roads, road vehicles and yet the constraints of the current rail network inhibit easy, economic and efficient rail challenges to the roads market for modal shift. Enter debates on HS2, but ERTA's conviction is that it is the local railway which is the building block to level up transport and environmental-wise. In the North, not exhaustive but Keswick is a classic example - relocate the cycleway, reopen the railway and allow trains to carry more bikes by reinventing the guards van vestibule for more luggage capacity on all trains for multi-use. It can be done and equal spending between new roads and rails, means not new money, but more responsible use of what money may be available.

ERTA wants: Woodhead, Keswick, York-Beverley, Scarborough-Whitby, Leeds-Northallerton via Ripon, East Midlands-Manchester via Matlock, Bakewell and Peak District/Buxton/Chinley and select others. Join us and help bring them about! https://ertarail.co.uk/