British Regional Transport Association (BRTA): Quainton-Leicester via Rugby debate

Identifying a new rail route (background):

We at BRTA are given to believe that as Quainton Road-Verney is being touted but with a easterly curve for Aylesbury - Milton Keynes integrated with emergent East-West Rail (Oxford-Milton Keynes/Bedford) and the old Claydon GC-Bletchley curve is being abandoned for HS2, a westerly curve also to serve Verney (with development) and onwards new-build to Buckingham and deviation south of Brackley/east of HS2/urban development to a new A43 area Parkway Station, could, with buses, serve Silverstone orbits and Brackley before going on towards Woodford area, A425 Southam-Daventry trunk road/Parkway Station halfway between two expanding urban areas without a railway and onwards via Willoughby area, old GC into Rugby and onwards via new-build with maybe a loop line serving both Magna Park and Lutterworth and entering Leicester via Narborough area of some other route, but old Midland is severely built on, akin to old Varsity Line east of Willington). We ask people to buy Ordnance Survey Maps (new) and study these/take it to the forum covering Verney and Rugby and Leicester (x3).

On Catesby Tunnel:

1. How much do they need it as a wind tunnel? Could they relocate/build another if rail demand is high?

2. bore a new tunnel adjacent to it

3. Maybe a cutting adjacent to the tunnel and use removed earth for embankment shoring up elsewhere as part of the new-build rail resource?

A study is needed. Local Parish Clerk dislikes the idea of the railway being rebuilt. But from our stance we see these things:

1. West Coast Main Line (WCML) and Midland Main Line (MML) are congested with demand for more trains and inadequate places for them to call at/London Terminal capacity issues.

2. HS2 may sort out more capacity by creaming off Birmingham-London audiences, but refuses to provide intermediate stations like to the expanding Brackley area as an example. That leaves a rail desert and throws new development - people and goods - to the roads, which are congested, main informants of air pollution (tyres and/or exhausts/both) and upgraded roads take more land, which is needed for other things/a scarce resource, seriously undervalued by development demand, creation of brownfield and less room for wildlife, recreation and local food production.

3. Given these dynamics (there's always more!); and given the mooted Quainton-Verney old route new-build for including Aylesbury into East-West Rail, we start with the new proposed by BRTA of a western curve into Verney and then onwards to the Buckingham area, Brackley/Silverstone area and onwards northwards GC old route more or less and/or new-build with realignments or whatever needs to be done, gives/takes.

4. Leicester is a problem. We need transport planners to step back and see the whole gamut which needs addressing principally:

a. Fuller finish of electrification into Leicester from Market Harborough/Wigston to Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield and Leeds for one-joined-up network but also

b. Full electrification of Felixstowe-Birmingham lines which also use tracks into and through Leicester.

c. More platforms capacity to receive and entertain more trains including reopened Leicester-Burton-upon-Trent line (Ivanhoe Line), Northampton-Market Harborough - Leicester (Gateway to/from the East Midlands and vice versa).

d. Restoration of the through twin tracks to enable freight to get through the station without delay, as freight by rail is a growth sector and good for getting vehicles off roads and decluttering main roads. If we care about the environment, these are essential to understand.

So, our rail link feeds more trains into Leicester, piecemeal is inadequate, it needs a holistic and cohesive plan, consultation and enable the gamult to be delivered giving more rail-based options and better public transport.

Richard Pill

BRTA CEO

I would abandon any idea of re-opening the old Great Central route through Rugby. There are two reasons for this:

1. The track bed to the North is now a public footpath, which ends at the canal. From there, it is apparent just how far away is the ‘Birdcage Bridge’ (over the WCML). The cost of rebuilding the viaduct alone would run to many tens of millions – Probably enough to kill the project on its own.

2. The line South from Rugby Central runs straight through town. It is a popular walking & cycling route and is backed onto by hundreds of houses. Every time that re-opening is raised, this is where the howls of outrage come from.

The GC really needs to connect to the WCML. Either by following the original route to the canal and then dropping down by an embankment, or, branching off around the Newton/Shawell area, possibly using the old Market Harborough track bed for final approach into Rugby.

In addition, I would not consider any bypass route to the East of Rugby. A new build railway would undoubtedly cause problems with the land owners and cost many millions per mile. Anyway, a campaign to re-open a closed railway line is much more sellable.

The idea that anyone would write-out a cheque for up to a billion Pounds to rebuild the GC in one go was always unlikely and with the current state of the public finances, frankly a pipedream.

If the GC is to live again, it needs to be done in stages. The first priority is passenger services from Aylesbury to Calvert and the East-West line. Second, push for re-opening Northwards to a parkway station near the A43. Brackley is a growing town and I believe it would welcome a direct rail service into London. This could be done at the same time as a campaign to re-open Leicester-Rugby.

As to practicalities, have you considered making common cause with other groups? The GC is on the Campaign for Better Transport’s list of possible re-openings.

To get anywhere you need the support of local MPs, councillors, Chambers of Commerce, local media etc. Start small, try to generate enough interest to have a feasibility study funded, to get the ball rolling.