British Regional Transport Association (BRTA): Northampton Umbrella Fair - Environmental Fair and Leicester Public Meeting 05-10-24

BRTA Leicester Public Meeting Agenda – Saturday 5 October 2pm – 4pm business
Venue: Leicester Quaker Meeting House, 16 Queens Road, Leicester, LE2 1WP
Website: https://leicester.quakermeeting.org/

Venue Phone: 0116-270-5003(mornings only). BRTA personnel will be setting up the room from 1pm onwards.

1. Vice Chairman’s Greeting

2. Speakers from GB Railfreight followed by Questions and Answers (Q&A)

3. Professor Andrew Williams and James Chick on prospects around reopening a Northampton-Market Harborough (M2MH) Rail Link for a 35-minute transit direct time between Northampton and Leicester (and vice versa) of just 35 minutes followed by Q&A.

4. General Panel Discussion on Leicester Related Rail Matters

Tea, Book Stall, Banter and Networking Opportunities and book stall etc.
Out by 5pm.

BRTA Attends the Northampton Umbrella Fair on Saturday 21st September 2024 – made a bit of a splash! Below: Richard Pill and James don the new T-Shirts printed for this event!

On Saturday 21st September Professor Andrew Williams, James from Leicester, David Ferguson and Richard Pill attended the ‘environmental’ Northampton Umbrella Fair at The Racecourse in Northampton. We had a stall and did the following:

1. Gave out leaflets promoting the 5th October Leicester Public Meeting

Sought petition signatures in favour of a Northampton-Market Harborough new-build rail link which would give a mere 35 minutes Leicester-Northampton direct rail-based transit time, contrast James, a Student from Leicester University, who tried to use rail via existing lines and service and took 150 minutes each way on a very circuitous existing set of lines and connections. We had a pleasant day, but then it rained and thundered.

2. Collected signature for a petition. Despite the rain and thunder which interrupted an otherwise pleasant day, we collected hovering 100 signatures and aim to repeat the exercise.

Caption below, Richard Pill, CEO of BRTA and standing to his right Professor Andrew Williams donning the new T-Shirts promoting a direct rail link between Northampton-Market Harborough-Leicester, which would give a direct 35 minutes transit time, contrast by existing circuitous rail links of 150 minutes each way with 2 changes of train! Over the years buses have been cut, but A508 traffic proliferates with development abounding.

Richard Pill, CEO of BRTA and standing Professor Williams, donning his new T-Shirt which top-to bottom says ‘N2MH@ (Northampton to Market Harborough), the BR Sign and then ‘Northampton 35 minutes Leicester’.

We collected over 100 signatures on a mixed-weather day, whereby half way through a massive thunder storm and heavy rail intervened. Otherwise, a good day, many people, much discussion and a good vibe.

We hope to make it an annual attendance to tap into potential like-minds and support. Other photos on our Facebook webpage: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthampton2MarketHarboroughRailLink

BRTA Is voluntary and relies on the good will of people to join, turn out and engage positively. We currently want to build teams and delegate roles to enable more and better. We seek a new Webmaster, willing door-to-door leafleting, area reps, fund raisers, marketing and promoting our events and peopling them. Externally, we need a national government who understands the real issues, is willing to make a whole hearted switch and fund from road to rail for people and goods and build railways which handle people and goods. Away with the view HS” creates capacity for more by rail, which may be true at cost, but does not fill the gaps the closures informed.

Please join us, all enquiries via richard.brta@gmail.com and join our free email loop for news, views and details of forth-coming events.