News article, gloomy or accurate, where next?

re: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/labour-s-great-rail-revival-has-already-hit-the-buffers/ar-AA1J7nQd?ocid=BingHp01&cvid=132afc127f534f86cb7bb535acc7e799&ei=16

This article is a bit gloomy. For many years there was a government/whitehall denial that railway reopenings were credible. Bedford-Sandy in Bedfordshire, part of Bedford - Cambridge was one such dismissed. On the one hand power said there was no case, then blockages meant could not be done and so not worth studying and as no study, there could be no support. 

Round and round we went from 1987-1995 when the East-West Consortium got going, then once professionals were in the driving seat, everything changed. 

They had the resources to pool together and invest an a study and Steer Davis Gleave 1997 showed Bedford-Sandy as part of a wider Oxford-Cambridge rail link was perfectly do-able, realignments south of Blunham and north of Sandy just as we said; but that good news was dented by the fact the two councils in Bedford, the Planning Authority and the Transport Authority could not agree on an 'Inner Route' or an 'Outer Route' (bypassing the town centre) and these routing issues plus the new-route of East-West Rail Company, is still the big issue today.

Then add to the matter that the government should be following a policy of switching from road to rail to reduce emissions, reduce pollution, save public health and cut NHS waiting lists, save land and speed up end-to-end timings - lots of benefits for choosing local rail solutions. New money not-so-much the issue, switch of priority and spend from road to rail is what is required. 

A sense of direction and lead, rail first. Taking tonnages off roads and pothole costs would be less as well as maintenance costs generally on the highways. Trouble is since the 1950's we've directed everything to road reliance and dependency and that has now come home to roost as endless congestion means delays and that is inflationary.

Those 'costs' translate to all our pockets.

Therefore, Government, for whatever reason is playing the field, trying to be all things to various demands without raising Tax from those with broader shoulders and so on the one hand plays 'make the case' knowing it is avarice expensive and time consuming, then turns even when cases are made robustly, to say "there's no money". Weird how they held a meeting in Eynsham in Oxfordshire touting support for Oxford-Bedford-Cambridge rail new-build, but very next day said "no money" for Witney and Carterton to get its local railway back despite a good case, and even Oxford-Milton Keynes has no passenger service start date as yet... glacial is the state of affairs and ultimately the public will lose faith and where that takes us is probably more chaos and uncertainty, for want of a pragmatic lead of where transport, people, places and the environment joined-up should be going - the rail-way. 

HS2 is an expensive fiasco unravelling and much ado posthumously in the media, which could not be overly critical in earlier stages of concept and design and campaigners dissenting from the plans, were hard pushed to get a word in edge-ways and sidelined in relation to wall-to-wall coverage in some Rail Magazines and other "HS2 can do no wrong" media espousals.

BRTA has had its own debates and neutral episodes. But our view is that HS2 is not enough, capacity improvements on existing rails and reopenings are also needed on a nationwide on-going basis region-by-region. It is the spits and splurts of government which is disconcerting and whilst Portishead is good news, Colne-Skipton is equally deserving, but blighted in funding by government finding £9 billion for the Lower Thames Crossing Road scheme, which really, if it were leading right, should be rail-based.

Any government of any shade may have had to make difficult decisions, but environmentally, you put rail first, not pluralism of road and rail with little coherence. M1 is 50% juggernaut lorries, A14/M6 likewise, we need the rail alternative and BRTA is a contributor to that narrative.

Please give us a donation and help fund our further efforts/join as well. https://brtarail.com/become-a-member/ Email your MP too, they need to be reminded of our efforts as well:

https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons?sort=1

Bedford Local Transport Plan - Please engage and help us get our goals on the radar.

Please engage with this: https://www.bedford.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/transport-policy/new-local-transport-plan

 and remember BRTA's calls, principally:

1. East-West Rail via St John's with reinstated triangle going east of Bedford and physical linkages with the East Coast Main Line (ECML) at Tempsford.

2. Bedford-Northampton new-build routing to enable Birmingham-Rugby-Northampton corridor to access directly Bedford (35 minutes) and the new Wixams for Universal main line station

3. Stations North of Bedford at Oakley and Sharnbrook

4. Local new rail passenger service to Oxford, now, not just 2031

5. New local shuttle passenger service between Bedford and Leicester and electrification finished to Nottingham, Sheffield and beyond.

6. New local station at the Retail Park Kempston, putting Kempston Town on the rail map and Oxford corridor for inwards footfall and outwards more opportunities.

7. Better buses linking with Bedford Midland Railway Station on a regular day-time basis as part of their over all journeys.

8. Bedford Midland Station Rebuild with more platforms, tracks, capacity, new train shed looking down Midland Road to the town centre and retail, toilet and better fronting facilities, more variety and a local community hub-resource, not solar focus hub for commuting. 

Please support these things in your responses to the Local Transport Plan.

Re-Rail Witney is a goer, but not supported by government?

Please see news article and email your MP in support!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0k72ln3748o

Please see this link: https://witneyoxfordtransport.org.uk/2025/07/17/integrating-rail-infrastructure-in-oxfordshire-development-plans/

Email in support of the rail link being fully restored as a modern railway which people and potentially freight can use.

The following link may be of interest... a viable rail proposition, but not being given the support by government it required to 'go ahead'! 

https://news.westoxon.gov.uk/news/council-publishes-independent-study-that-shows-potential-rail-link-from-carterton-to-oxford-is-economically-viable

There's numerous other, similar rail schemes which fall into this category, but instead, flying against the people, places and environment, land use and modal shift agenda, government finds £9 billion for the Lower Thames Road Crossing and plethora other road upgrades, whilst old and potential new-build rail routes are languishing, being compromised to arbitrary development without planning the rail infrastructure?

Please email your MP and demand a rethink in favour of local rail solutions more transport-wise, not pluralism of mode without choice i.e locked-in congestion!

https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons?sort=1

Request for your support please - Bring back our tracks and trains campaign!

Dear All,

re: https://consult.communities.gov.uk/special-development-orders/consultation-entertainment-resort-complex-bedford/

Please write in as individuals or in a corporate/external fashion is welcome too.

My check list for support is:

1. Bedford-Bletchley railway local shuttle to be fully retained and improved with

a. half hourly frequency at am/lunch and pm peak times

b. Sunday services

c. halt lengthening

d. Kempston Town and Retail Park to get a new station/put on the corridor rail map

e. infill electrification with semi-fast Oxford-Bedford trains now and 2031

f. semi fast Watford-Corby trains exploiting semi fast end-to-end criss-cross synergies.

2. Rail links east of Bedford via St John's plus physical linkages with ECML/main north-south main line at Tempsford

3. Study and support for a new-build Bedford-Northampton Rail Link, to enable Thameslink extension from Bedford to Northampton, Rugby and possibly Birmingham without a need to change trains and those audiences vice versa to Bedford and Wixams Main Line Station for Universal Theme Park.

4. Stations North of Bedford (SNOB): Oakley and Sharnbrook with a new electric shuttle between Bletchley/Bedford to Leicester on slow lines with new stations at Oakley, Sharnbrook, Irchester, Finedon, Burton Latimer, Desborough, Kibworth Harcourt and Wigston - same design as pre-Universal for Wixams, 2 platforms on slow lines with modest booking halls and parking capacity for 100 cars each. That will create capacity at existing principal stations, feed into them and enable closer access to wider rail services and network/less congested roads/emissions and delays. The A6 into Bedford Midland is a key beneficiary artery if these stations are progressed/sites found.

I would welcome support individually and corporately for these to be studied, supported and progressed by dint and stint and championing/real policy determination.

The idea East West Rail Company does not see that Cambridge-Bedford-Northampton direct has merit NOW let alone their Northern Route cater for such, shows how blinkered their approach has been and remains until they are willing to repent, realign and incorporate with humility a more inclusive and diverse approach.

In such a context, Bedford Midland Station Reform needs to be a top priority NOW by all, ideally coalition, working it through together please.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

BRTA CEO

https://brtarail.com/our-campaigns/

British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) Press Response

re: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20p95e7j3lo.amp

BRTA has called for electrification to Nottingham, Sheffield and ultimately Leeds and Carlisle to enable more to be made of the Midland Main Line and its connectives. Electrification brings efficiencies for passenger and freight operations.

All this traffic on the rails must go through Leicester, which is a bottleneck, the avoiding route was closed in the 1960's between Corby-Nottingham direct. 

BRTA has called for Leicester to have more track capacity to enable more passenger and freight by rail to get through it (Syston-Wigston) and for Felixstowe-Birmingham to also be electrified at one and the same time.

Leicester needs more platform access capacity as calls for reopening rail links to Leicester are from reopening Burton-on-Trent to Leicester via Coalville, Rugby-Leicester and that of Northampton-Market Harborough with a new station for Kibworth Harcourt area.

BRTA CEO said "we are saddened the government seems to have no on-going plan to electrify the Midland Main Line and is using finite resources for other schemes as in a play-off between rail projects, rather then reviewing whether the £9 billion it found for Lower Thames Crossing Road Scheme which will at cost exacerbate many environmental and transport problems. That money would be better diverted to the rail improvements so every region gets them, not just the West Country for example. This playing one area off against another shows political expediency, rather than a consistency of strategy which puts people, places and the environment first and at the centre of policy."

End

BRTA will continue to press MP's to support our rail agenda and encourage councils, agencies and the public to support our calls in unison. Leicester-Coventry may have potential for rail usage, but Rugby is a principal missing link as per Northampton and so the context of getting Leicester sorted, should be more of a priority for all.

Our forth-coming public meeting in Sheffield will doubtless mention this matter. See attached flyer for more details.

BRTA Sheffield Forum Public Meeting

 Saturday 19 July 2025 2-4pm business

Venue: 

Farm Road Sports & Social Club, Farm Road, Sheffield S2 2TP

1.  Welcome by Chair-of-the-Meeting Mr Chris Hyomes

2.  Speaker: Chris Bell, on Don Valley Rail Project to Stocksbridge

http://donvalleyrailway.org/

3.  Speaker Roy Begg, Technical Officer of the Minsters Rail Link Campaign https://www.minstersrail.com/

4.  Others speakers at the Chairperson’s discretion.

5.  Question and Answer (Q&A) Panel

6.  Any Other Business 7. Sales and Mingle

All welcome, admission free.

BRTA Website: https://brtarail.com/events/

Blogspot: https://brtarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/

Local Bus Improvement Schemes and using Universal as a catalyst for more diverse radial rails

The recent No. 8 extension seems crass to put it mildly. It states: 'Queens Street' on the front, but actually stops and waits at Roff Avenue going clockwise in orbital form via Kimbolton Road and Bedford Bus Station and out to Queens Park and Great Denham. Unsure who is paying for this service, scantilly used, may go the same way as extending the No. 8 to South Wing Hospital a while ago I fear? Reasons South Wing failed may be better know to some than others but had it of gone via Kempston Road (single deckers) - Spring Road

Kempston-Ampthill Road (Morrisons) (especially as the Stagecoach

Flitwick bus No. 2 was withdrawn, always busy when I used it) and back

to Bus Station, that may have got more usage. As it was, poorly

marketed, dropped off the wrong side of Britannia Road and changing

drivers caused delay for hardy souls from Great Denham and Queens Park

who wanted to make the through journey?

On the new loop via Roff Avenue, not Queens Street, caused confusion

to drivers and passengers. One driver either did not speak or

understand English, I said does it loop round via Kimbolton Road, he

denied and refused me access, stating he would go to Queens Park after

a change of drivers. I wanted to go to Kimbolton Road. I alighted and

lo, he drove off towards Union Street, the very loop I wanted.

Likewise, if the bus went the anti-clockwise way, picking up at St

Pauls (No. 7 is reduced to hourly sadly now) and timetable spread,

than the growing insanity of clustering buses (especially noticeable

on Sundays coming back from Kempston between No. 1 and C1 for

example), thence St Cuthberts, North Wing Hospital via Kimbolton Road,

Park Avenue (old folks home side)-Roff Avenue and into town via

Tavistock Street (new stops)-High Street (new stops)-St Pauls (drop

off)-River Street, turn left into Midland Road, loop round via Bedford

Midland Railway Station-Bromham Road (new stop outside Wyvern House

(shops opposite)-Hassett Street-Bus Station and out to Queens Park and

Great Denham. That would bring buses where no go since privatisation,

serve key outlets and bring footfall and spend. It is an opportunity.

Please have a rethink.

Likewise, what are we trying to achieve? Public SERVICES for people to

use or Profit or cut? I recall a certain bus service called DART a few

years back where loads of people used it, but was not profitable

because of the 'model', designed for services, not profit. It died a

death through cost, unreliability and shameful trashing takeaway food

and tomato sauce on seats, than maintaining a high standard. It was

withdrawn, but helped people get to out-of-the-way places at shift

hours like sprawling warehouses on the perimeter of town and meant

less scooters, less drive time/costs and enabling more without cars to

find work... but profit is the ONLY consideration, it was cut and we

are poorer for it?

Clearly on the Scooter problem, better police enforcement of rules,

segregated cycle/scooter lanes and more support for pedestrians,

rather than free market of chance and 'tough' wild west approaches on

who comes off badly.

18+ to Retirement bus-rail passes to help those on low incomes and

benefits access public transport and mitigate cuts and costs? It must

be nationwide. Then more users for services, more mobility,

opportunities and quality of life balances can be enjoyed. Who pays?

We all do by the default of spiralling car costs, congestion delays

and NHS waiting lists bloated with pollution informed lack of

resolution. If we care, do we also remember wildlife?

https://earthwatch.org.uk/new-report-widespread-toxic-tyre-pollution-harmful-to-all-life-is-entering-uk-rivers/

People and biodiversity is suffering, and we can do better.

Hope ideas of interest. It could work out that savings, pay for outlay

in a 'roundabout' way!

BTW, notice the planning consultation for Universal. Happy to meet and

discuss rail matters with anyone. I have offered to principal players.

2031 is the key date, will we be ready? Wixams Main Line Station,

Bedford Midland Station (rejigging, layout and capacity) and local

Bedford-Bletchley Railway, Halts and shuttle service, Oxford-Bedford

express passenger services - silence; that is what I hear

majoritively. It is time to pull together and ensure Bedford is ready

on the day, not 2050 getting gainful Oxbridge Arc jobs, whilst the

people and environment suffer? Nothing to do with Universal, it should

be a driving force for impetus and fresh thinking, but really, the

person/brains/set up on East-West Rail needs reform, democratisation

and delivery targets, to just get on with it, not play for time as if

it was separate to the areas which need it now? Devil is always in the

details, but we should ask "what can you deliver now?"

Bedford-Bletchley is a perfectly operational railway, loads of spare

capacity, so why is Bedford not having an hourly passenger train NOW,

not waiting until 2031 whilst the line is gold plated? The curvatures

on an 1846 railway won't be eased, but 25 mph - 90 mph is all better

to be keeping on the move, than stuck in congestion, rural or urban,

with the negative spin-off of rat runs to deal with? Prevention is

better than cure, surely a delegation must take these matters to the

Secretary of State for Transport and HM Treasury, growth is available,

are they prepared to ensure it can be delivered on time and within a

budget, not like HS2 which seems to be an empty sink project, just

leeching up evermore funding and dates of opening keep slipping? I

think Northampton-Bedford-Wixams Main Line as part of a joined-up

Thameslink service could also be another winner. It would clear tracks

from Bedford Midland and boost footfall and spend for all.

Northampton-Bedford-Wixams and beyond by rail? Call to action stations please!

Call to action stations please!

Battle for Bromham: 

we need to keep route options open!

re: https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/politics/council/decision-over-up-to-315-new-homes-in-bromham-deferred-5226405 

BRTA sees that a new-build Bedford-Northampton rail corridor requires lands north of River Great Ouse Girder Bridge to enable a flyover onto former route towards Stevington with cycle/walkway slewing alongside with fencing. Lands arcing northern Bromham, sandwiched with the River Great Ouse between Oakley and and the current perimeter of built Bromham. It is vital to keep that land from development west of the Midland Main Line for a new-build Bedford-Northampton Thameslink Railway.

Universal will bring 8-million visitors to the area per year. There will be pressure and premium for development of various kinds. 

Without the railway being pursued through that prism, with studies and coalition building to find a new-build route and study business case/feasibility and credentials including access to existing lines at Northampton and Bedford ends, all development will mean majority going by road except where existing lines may service it. That means land demand for parking, congestion, delays, pollution and other considerations. 

Positively, Northampton, upwards of 250, 000 area population, would, with a rebuilt rail link with Bedford, served by Thameslink extension, be able to come to both Bedford and Wixams for Universal without any change of train required and the transit times between Northampton by rail have been estimated at approximately 30 minutes end-to-end which would be both attractive and competitive. It would bring more footfall and spend to town centres, outlets and as both towns have long and proud sporting outlets and fixtures; the spin-off benefits are not to be under-estimated!

It is BRTA's view that developing the northern arc of Bromham may make reopening the railway much harder and so should be curtailed and the land used as greenbelt interim.

BRTA is open to discuss and work with others to see the railway supported by Councils, Agencies, Rail Organisations and Universal/Government. Thank you.

Please give help and support.

Please visit our webpage: https://brtarail.com/b2n/

Contact: ceo@brtarail.com

re: https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/network-rail-readies-300m-procurement-for-expanded-wixams-station-for-universal-studios-25-06-2025/

Wixams-Bedford and beyond via a single non-changing of trains, Thameslink fo example?

2003 and since, there's been growing support for an updated study for a Bedford-Northampton local/regional rail reopening. That would enable Thameslink from Birmingham to Bedford-Wixams and integrate to the wider network and vice versa.

Too much is dominated by East-West Rail getting its act together, it is progressing at a glacial pace.

2031 Oxford-Bedford passenger trains mooted, same time as Universal opens amazingly!

However, Bedford-Bletchley is a properly operating railway now and has spare capacity now. Sunday services, halt lengthening and retention can both be done now. There's no Sunday services on a Leisure Line?! Weekend possessions would be all that is required to get upgrades done, not endless years. Let's not buy into the fallacy that everything hangs on East-West Rail turning up.

Bedford Midland Station needs more track and train capacity now. Bedford Midland needs rejigging so the train shed (booking hall area) looks down Midland Road towards the town centre. Waiting 6 years is too little, too late and so we need the Government to be telling all players to be progressing now and keeping the wheels turning.

Bedford-Northampton needs a study updating from previous but would call at the Wixams main line station as a part of Thameslink. It could also inform more freight by rail as Northampton is a principal logistics centre bereft of radial rail links.

Some 15 miles of new build would be required and avoiding Olney with a Parkway Station further north would need to be factored in and links with Nos. 21 and 41 buses which also need a revamp between Northampton and Bedford with hourly frequency.

Who pays, well there's a cost to not starting to deliver these things now too, mayhem, congestion, parking demand outstripping town supply and rising costs, waste, pollution and eyesore. Upgraded roads produce more brownfield and development, without the rail alternative like Brighton-Bedford-Northampton could offer, traffic will get worse than better.

Please support our calls today and join BRTA: 

https://brtarail.com/become-a-member/ 

Join our free email loop via ceo@brtarail.com

Proliferation of the bad news and costs if we do not act now as a nation and world? 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/29/england-air-pollution-gp-visits-for-asthma-attacks-rise-45-per-cent?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Wales Rails Vision - join and volunteer to take it forward!

Update 29-06-25:

re: https://nation.cymru/feature/wales-railways-caught-in-the-business-case-trap/

If you have any reasoned answers to this article you feel BRTA and others can use to counter it, please email ceo@brtarai.com 

Minutes of our BRTA Wrexham Forum which was held last Saturday at The Elihu Yale, 44-46 Regent Street, Wrexham LL11 1RR. As you know, only one other person came which was our member Daniel Newton(from Wrexham).

• Apologies: David Start and David Ferguson (BRTA); Russell George/Peredur Owen Griffiths/Jane Dodds MS; Stuart Anderson/Julia Buckley MP; Cllrs. Alan Mosley/Bernie Bentinck/Carloyn Healy/Ben Jephcott.
• London-Wrexham: The Office of Rail and Road are currently carrying out our review of this application. Among other considerations, this includes assessing: based on the advice provided by Network Rail and applicants, if there is sufficient capacity for the proposed services and whether the services would unduly affect train performance; and, where relevant for open access proposals, what the financial impact on existing public sector operators would be. As part of our assessment of this application we will take account of the representations of all interested parties. We have forwarded the email which I had written to the ORR and their team will be assessing this application.
• Shrewsbury-Chester: The local Parish Council (Baschurch) commissioned a preliminary study of the feasibility and business case for the re-opening of Baschurch Station. I had tried to contact that Parish Council but they had never replied.
• Ruabon-Llangollen: There must be a separate campaign which should be in the name of the BRTA, and we should not contact the Llangollen Railway.
• Freight by Rail: The routes from Cardiff to Shrewsbury and then to both Chester and Crewe must be electrified since there are many freight flows along these routes.
• Bridgnorth-Shrewsbury Corridor: That part of the route (which closed in about 1963) has been subject to landslips and that a tunnel had collapsed. There are discussions and proposals to reopen parts of it although there could be several gradients.
• West Wales North-South Proposals: The Welsh Government is still debating on this matter, which includes both Bangor-Pwllheli and Aberystwyth-Carmarthen.
• Oswestry-Gobowen and links with Welshpool direct: First, the section between Gobowen (on Shrewsbury-Chester line) and Oswestry to reconnect a town to the railway network have now been thrown into doubt after the funding programme behind the scheme was scrapped since the restoration of the rail link between Oswestry and Gobowen - however the level crossing under the A5 on that line needs to be replaced with a tunnel. Meanwhile the section between Oswestry and Weston Wharf is already a heritage line and there is a level crossing on that heritage line and it must be replaced by an overbridge. The southern end between Llynclis South and Welshpool is disused.
• Barmouth-Dolgellau: We must look into this project, which could go on to Bala Junction, Bala Town itself and ultimately Corwen. The section between Corwen and Cynwyd is formerly a railway line but is being converted into a greenway by Denbighshire Country Council.Both of us had discussed greenways whilst there is a railway one side and pedestrian/cycling corridor on the other with a fence separating the railway from the pedestrian/cycling corridor.
• Email ceo@brtarail.com about anything.
• See also: https://brtarail.com/our-campaigns/

Call to action stations! Join us as a member and volunteer:

Please make it all a 'work in progress' by which I suggest:

1. build links and loop me in on replies

2. Make the case - population, road stats and costs, potential users - daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal for example

3. email key outlets which may be affected

4. Always look for recruiting new members, growing a team locally who are willing to reliably serve as volunteers and meet/convene where and as and when you get a bite in addition to 2026 Aberystwyth meeting.

5. find a marketing officer and get more turn out by means and ways of lawful persuasion. Did you invite Wrexham Town Council?

Please support a new Dumfries to Stranraer and Kirkcudbright Rail Link

BRTA DuMfries Scotland Forum

Saturday 9 August 2025 1pm lunch 2-4pm business
Venue: Robert the Bruce, 81-83 Buccleuch Street, Dumfries DG1 1DJ Venue Website: www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/robert-the-bruce-dumfries Phone: 01387-270320
BRTA Main Forum Convenor: Simon Barber:
Email address: admin@brtarail.com
Phone (landline): 020-8940-4399
Phone (mobile): 07522-374740
 
Agenda
1.     Appointment of a Chairperson for the meeting (not Simon):
2.     Appointment of a note taker for the meeting
3.     Dumfries-Stranraer and Kirkcudbright rail rebuild/new-build why?
a.     Regeneration
b.     Modal Choice
c.      Kirkcudbright has a Deep Sea Portal, could negotiations with the Royal Navy inform more freight by rail?
d.     Capturing road vehicles traffic off the A75
e.     Sustainable footfall and spend along the rail corridor, increased visitorship by rail and incomes derived from it.
f.       A direct curve west to north at the Stranraer end for access to the Ayrshire Coast Railway and vice versa, making a loop out of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Discuss.
4.   These benefits and engineering a rail rebuild needs studying yes/no?
5.   Join BRTA, become an Area Rep to recruit new members and inform a team for reopenings across Scotland with Dumfries-Stranraer/Kirkcudbright et al being our top priority?
6.   Route protection needed, route audit and list compilation of blockages and challenges.
7.   Make appeal to the Scottish Parliament, Local Authorities, and the Public et al.
8.   Any Other Business
9.   Day, Date, Time, and Place of next meeting (2026) – sort now, low-cost hall/venue?
Note: BRTA works on the basis of “think not what BRTA can do for you, but what you can do for BRTA” – so make reliable offers if willing to help and serve.

Every member gets a newsletter and can be on our free email loop: ceo@brtarail.com

People have mixed memories of the old days of old railways and associated with the steam age. However, there is a growing awareness that for good social, economic, environmental and moral reasons, we need modal choices brought back to enable inwards footfall and spend and investment and outwards modal choice, mobility and cost savings to access employment, travel more by rail and cut congestion, emissions and land take of more and wider roads.

I attach our agenda for a forum in Dumfries. All are welcome. We call on the Scottish Parliament to consider our call for a rebuild of this corridor's railway to a modern design standard.  It would be a boost to local economies; it would serve and regenerate places which need new life-lines for social and economic growth on a sustainable footing. It needs a study, it needs route protection, salvaging and/or select pieces of new builds with Parkway Stations to optimise new markets and older ones to fill trains including passenger workings and freight by rail, off local roads.

Scotland has blazed a trail of local rail reopenings in past decades and we very much hope St Andrews and finishing off the Borders Railway to Carlisle will also be top priorities and call out the English side for not more readily seeing the potential for economic growth.

BRTA hopes a new west-north direct curve at the Stranraer end will inform x2-way traffic on the rail corridor off the Ayrshire Coast and both will feed each other.

Indeed, it could be that if the Kirkcudbright line is rebuilt, some freight sharing deep sea portal access with the Royal Navy could be negotiated and bring freight into England from Scotland and vice versa for export to the Atlantic and Ireland. Cairnryan needs physical rail linkage as well.

This is a great opportunity, but given the push of development, unless the corridor is given a priority status, it could be lost to encroachments and other uses. Recovery is essential and lands for deviations where necessary. Rail keeps the wheels turning and can beat hands-down end-to-end timings and reduce maintenance and congestion delays on the A75. Please study it and get a progressive planning policy to nurture the railway and let the train take the strain for a rail desert that is south-west Scotland. It needs the benefits the railway can bring and in turn it will offer more for the rest of Scotland.

South East and East Rail Consultation

New update on related rail matters:

New Thameslink Eastbourne service starting - prelude to
our call for Capital-Airport-Eastbourne (Resort) synergy and Polegate-Stone Cross direct curve for Ashford-Brighton shave 20 minutes end-to-end and Hastings-Ashford electrification infill and redoubling?
Please get to it in campaign and marketing terms: https://news.railbusinessdaily.com/in-the-news-16th-july-2025-latest-rail-news/

Please email your MP in support of these initiatives and for a study on Redhill Reform and reopening the direct East Croydon-Eastbourne Cuckoo Line as a modern relief capacity artery?

https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons?sort=1

Please respond to this consultation. We need more tracks for more trains and that must include local rail reopenings and more orbital rail links around M25/London to enable radial services from and to different parts of Great Britain offering seamless journeys to/from the South East, cutting volumes of traffic vehicles (people and goods) and lowering congestion, blight and emissions/deteriorating quality of life for South East Citizens.

See: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9j930gypeo?xtor=AL-71-%5Bpartner%5D-%5BBBC+England%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_format=link&at_campaign_type=owned&at_link_id=2D109338-4A6A-11F0-8417-8F99EA8F018F&at_link_type=web_link&at_link_origin=BBC_Cambridgeshire&at_medium=social&at_ptr_name=twitter&at_campaign=Social_Flow and also (especially): 

https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/roads-transport/transport-planning/local-transport-plan/local-transport-plan-4/freight-rail-strategies?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_content=east+sussex+county+council&utm_campaign=hootsuite_default_campaign_tracking&utm_term=1ff54c85-492c-4eee-ae6d-e052dded3135

BRTA supports local rail reopenings but qualifiedly:

1. Guildford-Horsham via Cranleigh (see attached)

2. Studies into reopening/new-building No. 1 above) and that of a new Polegate-Stone Cross direct avoiding line shaving 20 minutes off end-to-end journeys making rail more competitive and opening up new capacity for more diverse directly services to Eastbourne (a Cinderella shadowed by Brighton?).

3. Studies into the new-build of the Cuckoo Line and East Grinstead-Three Bridge and the former Pulborough line to avoid going into London for getting across the South East. £millions spent on upgraded roads including A24 and A27 and for what?! It exacerbates land-use and parking demand at resorts and needs more rails to offer competitive alternatives to guzzling roads and rubber on hard surfaces pollutes and affect public health - ending up at NHS waiting lists see: https://earthwatch.org.uk/new-report-widespread-toxic-tyre-pollution-harmful-to-all-life-is-entering-uk-rivers/

4. Direct curves from the Tonbridge and Guildford lines to Gatwick and a study into a new flyover linking Tonbridge and Guildford lines for passenger and freight to and from the Channel Tunnel. Capacity at Guildford either needs more land-take or reopening the Cranleigh-Horsham line for more by rail options including Gatwick via Three Bridges and Crawley and them to Guildford, Reading and beyond, Heathrow (new-build): https://heathrowrail.com/

and West London/Waterloo et al.

Others should adopt a top 10 of schemes ideally and give details for such a call beit traffic reduction, pollution, environment, land use, population growth or even mere preference and choice for rail?

Our events are on our website:

https://brtarail.com/events/

Please email your local MP with pro-rail suggestions qualified/loop into your response to the consultation and us: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons?sort=1

Rt. Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP and Prime Minister talks about 'helping working people' whereas as British Prime Minister he should care about all people in a given society and do the utmost to reduce an underclass developing caught often between gaps in political spin and realities on the ground. More, better and affordable access to public transport enables more as per social mobility on the back of access to free education (all tiers) made accessible to all pockets and none; our transport agenda and sensitive social housing for people trying to leave home, our young people, seeking work, education and yes for families wanting affordable leisure travel, bus and rail need to come together services, ticketing and cost for low incomes say £21, 000 p.a and below to any kind of Welfare which needs arguably to be pegged to inflation as cost of living with everything else bites to leave little spending power. In short, whatever your views politically, it has to be made to add up for all, otherwise people fall through the net, face impossible barriers and more homelessness, which is not the sort of nation any of us want surely? So our focus on better, more and affordable public transport makes absolute sense for the well being of our society and we can export best results with best practise starting with these additional rail schemes surely?

BRTA CEO

ceo@brtarail.com