Press Release BRTA ‘disgusted’ at recent Chancellor’s Statement withdrawal of Rail Reopenings Fund

 

                                                                            31 July 2024 

 Press Release

 
BRTA ‘disgusted’ at recent Chancellor’s Statement withdrawal of Rail Reopenings Fund
 
Whilst BRTA is supposed to be strictly non-party political, we do praise and criticise any political outlet we may disagree with.
 
BRTA is particularly ‘disgusted at the recent decision by Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer to cut the Local Rail Reopenings Fund, a mere £500 million for the whole of Great Britain. In times when Government is charged with putting the environment first, to cut emissions and traffic on our roads, chopping this pro-positive local rail expansion budget seems to fly in the face of environment ‘centre of all we do’ and is a petty ‘tit-for-tat’ cut a road Scheme (Stonehenge) with a nationwide cull on local rail expansion? This means all the scattered development expansion ambitions of government are more likely to be unsustainable with green aesthetical window dressing, but not modal shift without sweating the existing rail network which has glaring gaps in it and which leaves large urban and rural communities, thanks to the 1960’s closures, without local rail access in a modern context.
 
BRTA calls for Government and Treasury to think again on this matter and put land use and the environment first in transport and planning sequestrations and integrations, not just ad hoc sprawls.
 
End of Press Release

 

Contact Richard Pill BRTA Media Spokesperson: 

07706600062 richard.brta@gmail.com

 

BRTA Sheffield Forum Saturday 29th June 2024 by Simon Barber of BRTA:

20-07-24

re: https://www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/p/time-for-a-rail-revolution

This article makes a good case for expanding the rail network in the Sheffield area. Obviously we want the Sheffield Victoria open and Don Valley Rail and Stocksbridge. Sheffield needs an orbital railway to enable more freight coming through the area not to take up paths which passenger services need. Personally, LRT should be on road space as per Manchester i.e. it is extra!

Electrification of the Midland Main Line to Sheffield and Leeds with a seamless service cutting out some of the changes to get south and north. So for example Luton Airport, Leicester, Sheffield and Leeds. They should have choice to ECML and MML could make more of a contribution. 

I hope you will respond to the article and encourage these things and keeping medium long term options open like route protection, like studying to explore modern cases in the modern context, not floundering on past glories and constantly putting off until routes are lost and other priorities take over. We need an optimal rail reach and range if model shift is to be realised in a generation. Campaigns which endure are well organised, peopled and delegate to ensure more.

BRTA Sheffield Forum Saturday 29th June 2024 by Simon Barber of BRTA:

I attended the Sheffield Forum which was held at the Benjamin Huntsman pub (Wetherspoons), and there were also our members David Ferguson and Christopher Hyomes. Four other attendees came (as per our Attendance List) - Andy Faulkner (Minsters Rail), Chris Bell (Don Valley Railway), Nigel Kavanagh-Brown (MEMRAP) and Dr Jonathan Coghill. The following matters were discussed:

Don Valley Railway and Woodhead - One freight train every day to Stocksbridge steel works and the line is in very good condition. However, tram-trains could be up-graded for Stocksbridge, and heavy rail in the long-term also from Stocksbridge to Penistone. There is pressure to re-open Sheffield Victoria, since Sheffield MIdland is heavily congested.

Peak Rail (Matlock - Buxton/Chinley) - These could be used for both fast and slow trains, plus stone traffic. The new East Midlands mayoralty covers both Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire (but not Leicestershire) and they are now in favour of Peak Rail. The Peaks and Dales Railway (MEMRAP campaign) now has links with local universities.

Minsters Rail - This seems to be high on the lists, whilst the Humber estuary often gets flooded - also some of the East Yorkshire communities will be reconnected to the rail network and the A1079 York-Beverley Road suffers from traffic congestion.

Harrogate-Ripon-Northallerton: The Harrogate-Ripon should be the first stage of the reopening since many Ripon residents commute to both Harrogate and Leeds. The 1 mile of a Ripon bypass has taken track and then work on a diversion to Thirsk, since there were some developments at Northallerton - both Thirsk and Northallerton would de-clutter York.

Christopher Hyomes our BRTA Northern/Yorkshire Area Rep: had suggested that our next meeting should take place in a church hall for which Chris will search one out and then will pay for it. To keep in touch, contact Simon via T: 0208 940 4399 E: simon4barber@gmail.com and Chris Hyomes T: 07971 766207   E: chris.hyomes@hotmail.co.uk

BRTA calls for any new government of whatever shade, to switch priorities from roads to rails more!

BRTA calls for any new government of whatever shade, to switch priorities from roads to rails more!

 

BRTA is concerned that the track-record of previous governments over decades has left the existing rail network depleted, rationalised and run-down and poured £billions into new roads and upgrading roads (A27/A24) which attracts increasing volumes of traffic, makes for more rat-runs across country to join other queues, increasing pressure on land use allocation for endless parking spaces, when we need environmentally and socially to make using public transport (especially more rail journeys) more amenable, affordable and accessible.

 

Key Rail Projects we want support for:

1.      Guildford-Cranleigh-Horsham, the Arundel Curve and a Phase 2 look at the direct line to Shoreham from Horsham with linking bridges and curves included in modern designs.

2.      Polegate-Stone Cross direct line reinstatement/realigned new build to shave 20 minutes end-to-end Brighton-Ashford transits by trains giving more capacity for Eastbourne specific services and challenging the appeal of endless road use.

3.      A new curve from the Tonbridge line towards Gatwick which could link to a host of existing services more than having to change at Redhill all the time.

4.      A study to look at linking Tonbridge with the Guildford Line direct at Redhill and

5.      Electrification of the North Downs Line to enable semi-fast Thameslink services into Guildford and possible Reading as they do likewise to access Horsham.

BRTA believes these projects need a switch from £27 billion new roads fund to pep up the Rail Reopening Fund which was pitted at a mere £500 million for all Great Britain, which is, given a need to cut emissions and congestion, a meagre and unequal recognition of what rail can offer.

6.      A rail link corridor from Tonbridge-Brighton via Eridge, Uckfield and the Lewes area.

End of Press Release

Further Comment: Richard Pill, BRTA CEO 07752 096392 

e. richard.erta@gmail.com  https://ertarail.co.uk/events/