British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) is a voluntary membership-based association seeking more, better and affordable public transport. In particular, commensurate with putting 'people, places and the environment' at the centre of all we do and aspire towards in policy and practise terms, we want more local rail solutions and local rail reopenings/newbuilds of local, conventional rail in particular. This has to be part of a nationwide plan.
This has to be part of a switch of funding from £27 billion new roads budgeting to equality or tipping in favour of the Local Rail Reopenings Fund, which the new Labour (!!!) government cut whilst retaining majority of new road schemes.
The Local Rail Reopenings budget was a mere £500 million for the whole nation, hugely inadequate and equality would pep it up more, tipping in favour of returning to a rail-base logistics and transport strategy and implementation on the ground, would do a lot to help with the following: 1. better land use stewardship, 2. less land - take pro rata 3. better and more public transport options 4. more freight by rail of all shapes and sizes, post, pallets and parcels to containers 5. cutting congestion, air pollution (from exhausts and tyres) and associated health issues which bloat NHS waiting lists on multiple fronts. 5. More speed and efficiency 6. better connectivity from growing urban and rural places to a nationwide and indeed international rail network which Britain gave to the world. 7. the jobs, the supply chains and things like incentives to send more by rail can only happen if we commit to implement a rolling programme of local rail reopenings - grassroots upwards and outwards to enable more by rail and reduce congestion, blight and give real choices for all ages and needs, boosting footfall and spend and sustaining local town centres, which congestion and bypasses at great costs just cannot service properly without massive land use consequences. You can only spend the same £1 once, rail delivers, whereas endless and unadulterated demands for parking takes space which otherwise could be allocated for housing, employment, conservation and indeed, producing quality food!
BRTA is bemused by the constant reference to a financial black hole.
Any economies needs to bear in mind what we are trying or purporting to achieve. In layman's terms £27 billion new roads, £21 billion financial black hole, cut the new roads budget and you have £6 billion over after filling the black hole with a surplus. To use that surplus for restoring the Local Rail Reopenings Grant but broadening to incentives for parcel delivery firms to engage and use rail lion's share, to inform sidings and infrastructure for more road to rail switch and get lines reopened and ensure new junctioning where old routes are lost or compulsory purchase and relocations are properly funded and ensure that the planning system, proposed new towns and land use are working for the good to deliver the rail infrastructure so savagely cut during the 1960's and early 1980's.
Sustainable Britain needs re-railing and too many times facing up to this structural need, has been leap-frogged by other agendas, which add to pollution and bads, rather than holistic repair and a more balanced approach to sustainable transport.
This is the gist of a email sent to MP's at Westminster. If you agree, please write to your LOCAL MP and give support to what BRTA ius saying. Thank you.
All equiries via richard.erta@gmail.com 01234 225068
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