Now this: 27-02-25
Would complement rail links between Stansted and Colchester/Braintree too?
Update 25-02-25: Reuniting East and West Essex by Rail
Minutes are now available of a Zoom meeting about #Stansted Airport expansion and an extension of the rail link eastwards to Braintree and Colchester respectively. Minutes of our Zoom call yesterday about the proposed expansion of Stansted Airport and a proposed extension of the existing rail link eastwards to link with Braintree and Colchester which would enable more use of rail for journeys to, from and beyond the airport like Cambridge-Chelmsford and Colchester to Harlow for example.
We would welcome your help to champion the rail link and on request I have a report study done by Railfuture East Anglia which I am happy to share showing the feasibility of such a uniting rail link, broadening the employment base and accessibility to wider audiences of ther airport and helping with jobs and other regenerational footfall and spend for example in town centres and reducing the chronic congestion, pollution and mayhem more roads upgrades inform which are also accident prone too.
We seek champions for the rail link proposal and help to upgrade the study, champion the rail link idea and get a round-table going to bring professionals, elected representatives and other support bodies together to champion it to the highest level and court government support like they recently gave to Heathrow Third Runway, which arguably overheats the South East and without more and better conventional rail links will be unsustainable - people, places and quality of life considerations for example.
The report, a recent letter from Stansted Airport and minutes from our Braintree Public Meeting via pdf are available from here richard.brta@gmail.com
I sincerely hope this may be of some interest, as if we do not get the rail link, the impact of airport growth will throw ever more pollution and congestion onto the A120 and land use demands for ever more parking as well. Join our loop via richard.brta@gmail.com Likewise copies of the Railfuture Report and a letter from Stansted Airport too. They are pdf's.
21-02-25 Update Zoom Meeting - all welcome:
Scroll down to Monday 24th February for Stansted Zoom Meeting.
Any queries or to join our update loop send to richard.brta@gmail.com
Minutes of BRTA Zoom Meeting
discussion of Stansted Airport Expansion and better rail links from Colchester
and Braintree for more by rail and reduced traffic impacts for example.Present: Ian Couzens (Railfuture East Anglia Chairman), Trevor Garrod (Chaired the Meeting from Lowestoft), Richard Pill (BRTA CEO), Simon Barber (BRTA), Dave Aldridge (Shortgate Parish Council, Wickford.
1. Apologies for absence: Jonathan Coghill (BRTA), David J. Start (BRTA).
2. Minutes of previous minutes and matters arising: There were no matters arising and the minutes were accepted.
3. Stansted Expansion and better rail links:
a. The meeting want the railway extended eastwards to serve Braintree/Colchester and Chelmsford arcingly.
b. A question was do we want more aircraft in and out of Stansted? Medium to long haul maybe, but short flights, the emphasis should be on more and better rail links, services, and connections. Pan-Europe travel by rail for example was flagged up and Eurostar is expanding services via the Channel Tunnel to/from wider European destinations.
c. If we want more by rail, we need links like east of Stansted for wider audiences to and from the airport by rail, cutting congestion on the A120 and emissions.
d. We considered the environmental benefits of the proposed rail extension and the population attending the airport commuting for work, shift hours and subsidiary industries informing a supply chain dependent on business to and from the airport. It is thought about 12, 000 people work in relation to the airport and presumed from a wide area. Better rail links would enable more of these people to attend by rail and enlarge the employment base and choice from a wider range including East Essex for example.
e. The new rail link would reunite east and west Essex which is a fairly large and growing population county of England.
4. Consideration of their letter of response to the Braintree meeting:
a. The letter was a welcome response, but it was expressed that we are not asking the airport to fully fund the new rail extension, but help and be instrumental in helping gather a coalition of support by lead agency and councils to take the project and give it a home and forward to appeal for government backing just as Rachel Reeves has done for Heathrow Third Runway for example. It is of regional and nationwide significance and impact.
b. Richard Pill to email Mr Fieldhouse and would ass the pdf of Railfuture’s Study making the case for the airport rail link extension. This basic study makes a case, but we need investors and support for a more detailed and fuller study to be worked up which may for example do routing, engineering, environmental considerations, and possible Parkway Station for Great Dunmow area for example.
c. Ref R120 mirrors A120 corridor. The population is growing in volume, sprawl, and density, so land use is becoming a precious commodity and ensuring the railway remains do-able is why it needs a home with professionals, councils, agencies, and government to be done within maybe a 10-year timeframe?
5. Next Steps:
d. Richard to ask Mr Fieldhouse for any origin and destination data from customers and staffing supply and demand and what expansion would inform numerically.
e. Richard to write/email councillors and ask for them to consider a key person’s conference to further consider these matters and a course of action for the railway and invite the author of the Railfuture Study to speak for example?
f. Another meeting/conference could also be done by Railfuture/BRTA, location to be determined. BRTA happy to help marketing by email, but can’t resource such ourselves and any future meeting would be Zoom and/or a smaller public meeting at Braintree.
g. Richard to contact Transport East about the matter.
h. The Railfuture Consultants were Jonathan Roberts, based in London and these minutes would be sent and any future mapping on the way ahead is welcome to entertain.
i. Richard to post out to those who attended Braintree who only gave postal addresses.
6. (see 5)
Who will do what including BRTA seeking someone to join and be the Essex Area Rep to recruit and build a team to coordinate.
7. Any other related business:
It was discussed about time-span from conception to delivery. Clearly given pace of development there is no room for long terming or complacency. We need coalition, support, champions, and leadership now. It was mentioned East West Rail (Oxford-Bedford-Cambridge) started as an amateur campaign and has taken 40 years with Oxford-Milton Keynes Passenger Trains running from August 2025 mooted.
8. Future Zoom/date of next meeting and any plugs.
No future formal da in touch and so another Zoom for interim progress later in the year seems logical. Meanwhile people can join our growing email loop via richard.brta@gamil.com
Meerti8ng started at 3pm and finished about 4pm Thanks to our webmaster Andy Purves for helping set up and manage the Zoom apparatus for the meeting.
Notes:
Website: https://brtarail.com/events/
Copies of pdf letter via richard.brta@gmail.com
Enquiries via 01234 225068
Railfuture Report Consultancy: https://www.jrc.org.uk/
13 February 2025
Press Release
British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) calls
for extension of the rail link to Stansted to arc across to reunite east and
west Essex as one east-west rail link with Braintree and Colchester
BRTA convened a meeting on Saturday 8th
February at Braintree to bring people together to discuss the matter that if
Stansted is to expand, the public should rightly ask their MP’s, Councils and Government
to demand contributions to extending the rail link eastwards to link with
Braintree and Colchester including a new Parkway Station for Great Dunmow.
Benefits would include:
1.
Decluttering the
A120 in a context of massive infill development. The road is accident prone and
hazardous and needs the relief a proper rail link can offer.
2.
Reunite east and
west Essex offering train travel between places like Cambridge and Chelmsford,
Harlow to Colchester and all in between.
3.
The meeting also
discussed re-connecting Maldon to the main line by rail, a new route would be
needed, a study is called for.
Richard Pill said after the
meeting “Essex deserves better joined-up rail connectivity and we call on
councils and others to demand the rail link and routing for it be included in
expansion plans for the airport. We aim to hold a Zoom Meeting on 24th
February and all are invited, further details via richard.brta@gmail.com”
End of Press Release
Further comment: Richard
Pill, BRTA CEO 01234 225068
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