Freight by rail more - assessing government long-term pledges

05-02-24 Update news:

re: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68180047?at_campaign_type=owned&at_link_type=web_link&at_format=link&at_ptr_name=facebook_page&at_medium=social&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_link_id=CBF474F0-C335-11EE-A1EF-DEC754826ABF&at_link_origin=BBC_London&at_bbc_team=editorial&fbclid=IwAR2bAO8rYShHyTLKvT4roYds9oPQIeBRcBcHSrTtqL8gqYBMt4XgL364L8I

Please support BRTA as we advocate this sort of thing and more. Thank you. The Dudding Hill Lines could also facilitate a new bay at Luton Airport Parkway Station, a regular Luton-Reading 'South Chiltern' Rail Passenger Service, cutting changing and tube to get across London from North to West and vice versa.

Join and/or donate now! https://ertarail.co.uk/become-a-member/ The respective councils, quangos and leaders need to be encouraged to have the vision and get on with it. Heathrow Southern Rail Link could have arms to Reading, Paddington and Old Oak Common/Chiltern Main Line for a Milton Keynes/Aylesbury/Banbury arc to Woking/Guildford and beyond too. All standard conventional rail links can be used for passenger and freight operations, we just need more of them and joined-up-ness for optimum network benefits on and off the rails.

03-02-24

re: https://railuk.com/rail-freight/gb-railfreight-launches-new-rail-freight-service-connecting-london-gateway-to-iport-doncaster/

This is a good-news story, despite many saying no capacity along the East Coast Main Line (ECML)! 

If the slow lines either side were made x6-tracking - you agree the idea and start now x 10 years for delivery, with a new Ickleford Curve to the Hitchin - Royston Line and with curves at Tempsford for East-West Rail physically linking ECML and vice-versa, you enable utilization of stock, more scope, revenue and business for all rail lines and the benefit also of more lorries off our roads, cutting emissions and freeing up road space for those who have to drive and drive safely too. 

It is BRTA's conviction that East Bedfordshire must have a full through rail-based access to Bedford County Town and vice versa. Rejuvenation requires sustainable footfall and spend in all these places and rail is the way to go, hence our call for trains to enter and go through Bedford via St John's and that onwards also direct of the Oxford corridor. 

Please give us your support and help usher this option. We need more people and goods by rail and more tracks for more trains is exactly what is needed on existing networks and reopenings/new-builds as well. HS1 does multi-tasking whereas HS2 is not being designed for comprehensive usage and versatility. The lack of M25 orbital rails to enable Channel Tunnel-radial rails is a big issue, which needs a champion to lead on strategically and government has a pivotal role to play, but seems gormless from a number of policy, joined up and honesty issues like pretending HS2 to Crewe cancellation would cascade to local rails more, it is a pittance deployment, money majoritively has gone to non-rail projects or the Treasury for Tax Cuts before an election. Meanwhile Colne-Skipton which has ticked all the required boxes including business case, is not being given the go-ahead yet and other pressures could scupper it unless a bold, a strong determined lead from the Secretary of State is given. The model repeats elsewhere sadly.Northampton-Market Harborough (N2MH) is another case in point.

https://ertarail.co.uk/events/

re: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-ambitious-target-to-grow-rail-freight-by-at-least-75

Laudable stocking filler for what campaigners like us may wish for, but how accountable is the pledge? For example, anything with 2050 immediately rouses suspicion, even as half a loaf is better than none. On the one hand irreversible climate change cut off is 2030, I'd like to know what progress between now and then that is 'new' beit money, infrastructure, grants reorientation to favour rail connectivity and lines-side plans for nurturing freight by rail, which because of its nature, is not necessarily an overnight thing, but 30 years may seem extravagant. On the other hand, we have a general election within about 12 months, so a new government may have another agenda, does this one remain or rapidly changed, from what to what? If we have a consensus amongst Opposition and Government that we must nurture modal shift from road to rail as a clear goal, then we should expect to see specific plans for where extra tracks for more trains will go and what timescale and what of cascading. Two examples yea, three:

1. Ely Rail Bypass in the system, but will take time, along with hopefully redoubling tracks along the Soham line. But March-Peterborough is already intensively used, how may extra trains can be accommodated without squeezing passenger demand or indeed, the Wisbech rail reopening with through trains? 

2. Bletchley-Milton Keynes has been identified by Network Rail, but timescale is unknown. Trains have been cut back to Watford from Gatwick/East Croydon due to a lack of capacity. So we excellerate capacity for East-West Rail into Milton Keynes Central and that of Bedford-Bletchley trains, but what about other enhancements? Infill electrification between Bletchley and Bedford may not have a strict 'business case' (I hate that whole system as costly delaying tactics when common sense cries out for rail investment for environmental and good efficiency reasons), but would enable Watford-Corby electric hauled freight and a semi fast peak time passenger service exploiting the end-to-end potential for a speedier transit. Yes, keep the shuttle and add another station for Kempston Town and Retail Park. But the agenda must be rail, what can we put on it, all sizes open to consider from containers to Post, Pallets and Parcels for example. Every station should have a parcels outlet, which could tie-in with information and sell stamps upwards and outwards. With Universal Pleasure Parks seeking permission to develop between the proposed Wixams and existing Kempston Hardwick Stations, both should benefit, so upgrading with lengthening platforms for 3-4 coach trains as a norm should be where the plan goes to ensure rail serves these big developments from day one, not like the Retail Park, 40 years and nil delivery! https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/breaking-news-universal-studios-confirm-they-are-planning-a-theme-park-in-bedford-borough/

3. Northampton. If we are to get a Northampton-Market Harborough rail link, more track capacity apart from that, is needed through Northampton with additional platform capacity. This is why developing non rail development right to track-side is ludicrous if we are serious of modal shift from road to rail. 

Please help us by:

1. writing to your local MP, relevant council

2. Stay with us and give us whatever support you can please.

3. Our new Westminster Team coordinated by Tony Houghton, is open to all to collaborate with us. We want pro-rail people to attend the various meetings and speak up credibly for more and better rail solutions, reopenings, and select pieces of new build.

Government started by allocating £27 billion new roads and a mere £500 million for the Rail Reopenings Fund. It is not therefore new money we need, but a reallocation of existing funds to show forth better intent to rebalancing our transport system and enabling more by rail.