Eurostar access improved? What next? Points and Crossings!

re: https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/35145828/uk-railway-station-new-trains-europe-paris/

This is the result of campaigning, not quangos paid to improve better public transport and access. So we're in the right league and the others need reforming for more rail-based solutions, saving miles of extra driving. What would also be nice is for the roll-on-roll-off shuttle across the Channel Tunnel to have an advanced in-land outlet south of M25, to take the strain earlier and go straight through?

BRTA has called for curves from both the Tonbridge and Guildford lines for direct running south to Gatwick and Brighton etc, but these have one hand of interest saying "yes" and others "absolutely not!" Pragmatism is 1. It is a falsity to suggest such would undermine Redhill and 2. If the North Downs Line was electrified as a third-rail, Thameslinks could run through to Guildford from East Croydon and vice versa and going north, access to a wider network linking with destinations like Luton Airport, Bedford, Peterborough and Cambridge for example; as they do to Horsham. Alas, we need flexibility and pragmatism. The idea of a direct rail flyover linking the Tonbridge line and that of the North Downs Line should also be studied to establish 1. Can it be done and 2. Should it be done?

Some seem to have a 19th century view of railways whereby people love changing at every nook and cranny, whereas actually, there is a view that people like the convenience of direct a-to-b travel!

Please give us your support; please email your local MP in favour of our calls: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons?sort=1

BRTA is not pleased that despite cuts elsewhere, the government finds £9 billion for a road-based Lower Thames Crossing with no parallel rail-based tunnel as well or indeed, instead of? East Anglia and North Kent deserve better use of taxpayers money and need rail alternatives to reduce congestion, pollution and in all probability, save money and land too?

https://www.borntoengineer.com/uks-largest-road-tunnel-project-lower-thames-crossing-receives-government-approval

Dates for your diary coming up - join us!

 https://brtarail.com/events/ Is the guide for forth-coming events nearer to where you may live. But all our events are open to all and all are welcome to come along and get involved. 

Some events you may also be interested in are:

1. British Regional Transport Association (BRTA)

~ A voluntary association seeking more and better public transport and environment for all. ~

BRTA Bedford Area Forum Wednesday 11th June 2025 1pm-4pm All welcome

Venue: The Library Room, Bedford Quaker Meeting House, 5 Lansdowne Road, Bedford, MK40 2BY

Venue Website: www.llquakers.org.uk/bedford

Free Admission Email richard.brta@gmail.com and join our free email loop for updates. Bring cash to peruse our stall, donate or join! Together we are stronger!

Join the discussion around local transport and public transport issues around Bedford Borough with us. Topics include: Support for East-West Rail (get the route right!), Stations North of Bedford (Oakley and Sharnbrook), a new station on the Bedford-Bletchley Railway for the Retail Park Kempston, Universal Theme Park and implications/opportunities and Better Buses. For more information about BRTA, see our website: https://brtarail.com/events/ and for a good read: https://brtarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/

2. 

Come to our Annual General Meeting in Guildford

Saturday 12 July 2025 2-5PM Business 

Venue: Guildford United Reformed Church, 83 Portsmouth Road, 

Guildford, GU2 4VS

Venue Website: guildfordurc.org.uk Phone: 07410-950207 (mobile)

All welcome.

Guest Speaker: Trevor Garrod,

"Improving the rail network – Lessons from recent experiences” 

See https://brtarail.com/events/

What you can do…
1.       Join/Donate to BRTA (see details below).
2.       Write/email your local MP on the local rail link being rebuilt to a modern railway standard for quick transport to main centres. See: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons
3.      

Write/email to your local councillors, parish, and town councils too.

4.       Write/email local media outlets and support BRTA’s call.
5.       Peruse our excellent website: https://brtarail.com/  and blogspot: https://brtarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/
Membership Payment can also be done on-line. Scan QR Code or direct to our bank with a note.

Details are Sort Code: 40-45-27 Account Number: 92086808 

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

Pollution is affecting lives and costing people and planet!

re: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/14/early-air-pollution-exposure-affects-health-in-adolescence-study-finds?utm_medium=paid&utm_source=fb&utm_id=6806222135299&utm_content=6806222135099&utm_term=6806222134899&utm_campaign=6806222135299

Air pollution is a problem. It is invisible, but for many an ever-present reality. People are being used as filters and are left exposed daily to toxins and particulates they breathe in and these have numerous, all ages, detrimental effects urban and rural. 

Vehicle dependency has been mainstream with us for about 100 years. 60 years ago, the alternative to road proliferation to cater for ever-more road-based vehicles was taken out and disabled with closures of local lines and informing an industry and network infrastructure inadequate to respond to growing people, places, demand-supply chains and court new audiences too. So it has gone to the roads, large land takes, rubber on hard surfaces beit fossil fuel supplied or battery or any other power, likewise fossil fuel exhausts add to the mix people inhale. 

In response, BRTA calls to 'bring back our tracks and trains', but we also need more new railway pieces, duplicate relief lines and more funding directed to 'getting started' local rail infrastructure and capacity enhancements on existing rails, to give more of an alternative to road dependency and ensure fair pricing to give lifestyle choices. For example, those 18+ to retirement and under a certain income, say £25, 000 p.a. should be given a free bus-rail pass to offset transport costs and the cost of private car ownership or multiple car ownership per household. Congestion exacerbates pollution and high sided High Streets canyonise/trap pollution, intensifying what people have to engage with as they go about their business.

Locally to Bedford, we want:

1. Rail Links east of Bedford via St John's

2. A new-build route Bedford-Northampton Arm

3. A new station on the Bedford-Bletchley Railway for the Retail Park at Kempston

4. Redesign of Bedford Midland principal railway station with linking regular buses linking it with the town centre as part of over-all routes.

5. Stations north of Bedford at Oakley and Sharnbrook to give choice and reduce congestion down the A6 into Bedford and enable more capacity in urban cordons for things like parking using existing facilities.

We stand ready to meet with like-minds and work to bring these about. In your own areas, think of your wish list and how feasible it is. Join BRTA, offer to serve, build us up and we can nationwide aspire to do more. If you want positive news on rail restoration and new-builds, we need you to join and make that news, make that transition and be part of the answer to make re-railing happen. It has to be measured, disciplined and properly evaluated for feasibility. For example, we also need a level playing field whereby HS2 can say "here's the cheque, move please", other local conventional rail projects cannot/do not have that power. On the other hand, the Office for Road and Rail (ORR) needs reform to be more responsive and have a more flexible approach to level crossings, reducing cost and enabling more local rail reopening solutions to take place. 

Likewise, blockages over a 10 year planning time frame can be massaged down with relocation packages, slight amendments, deviations or complete new-builds. Over time from the launch of Bedford-ECML/Sandy rail campaign in 1987, we were constantly told for 9 years 1. no demand (but would not invest in a study to find out) by power and 2. blockages exist, so cannot be done. Now we have a new route, wanting 60 houses demolished, let alone rural areas and many other problems making our calls look fairly modest by comparison. Elsewhere other examples exist - see: https://brtarail.com/our-campaigns/

BRTA advises people to email their local MP as power needs to hear of these concerns, issues and matters and be persuaded policy must change, government must switch and give real rail alternatives and that means wagon-load, Speedlink Mark 2 or just more by rail x whatever, so beit, that environmentally, is the way to go and the jobs, the skills and outcomes will be more positive than the status quo bloating NHS waiting lists, disabilities, costs and premature deaths or under-development. 

Please liaise with us and let's make a difference.

Please email your local MP: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons

Transport for the North - Get on the right lines!

Join our Sheffield Forum Public Meeting and engage more!

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/

Updated news 16-05-25

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c331458ke42or

Please support the BRTA calls below and make your voice heard. Join our loop via ceo@brtarail.com

e: https://www.transportforthenorth.com/reports/strategic-transport-plan-transforming-the-north-2024/

What the North like the rest of Great Britain needs is a year-on-year programme of local rail reopenings, select new-builds, capacity enhancements and local rail solutions why? For more modal shift from road reliance to more by rail - people and goods. One critic of BRTA said "that would mean going to wagonload Richard" but if that is what is required, if demand for it can be found, then like Varamis Rail https://www.varamis.co.uk/ you start off small and grow as far and wide as your demand-supply chain can reach. Ideally, all would be government sponsored even around the start-up edges and infrastructure, to enable this transition back to rail with local road deliveries where necessary, but lion's share by rail for example. It is not rocket science, but needs the Department for Transport and associated others (Scotland and Wales) to collaborate. So a top few for the North:

1. Modern railway standard rebuild Woodhead for people and goods including a new Woodhead Station for access by rail to the northern arc of the Peak District National Park and Pennine Way for example, churlishness masked as 'realism' means we ignore calls for Woodhead reopening, with media journalists playing down demand, when other routes are at capacity and we're spending avarice upgrading roads due to congestion, when the rail could be taking the heavy load and enabling more with a better environmental footprint?

2. Burscough Curves, a small project but would enable more versatility and diversity of rail service capability.

3. Colne-Skipton, a well fought campaign, deserves approval. Like Bristol-Portishead, the money needs to be found and a better appreciation of it by power and resources agencies to ensure 10 years max for ribbon cutting on any scheme. 2050 will be too little, too late for many and much.

4. Minsters Rail (York-Beverley) much needed.

5. Harrogate-Ripon and new-build ideally to Northallerton.

6. Peak Rail (Derby-Manchester via Bakewell.

7. Scarborough-Whitby via Robin Hoods Bay - no time for pontification, here's the cheque move please with compensation from those authorities who allowed development encroachment on old rail routes, knowing demand probably existed.

8. Finish off the Borders Rail to Carlisle for through route potential.

9. Keswick, clear demand, needs pushing through with strong leadership at all levels including public support.

10. Scoping studies for more of the same and a Traffic Reduction Strategy for every area mandated by Government, which is not exactly showing the necessary environmental, people and places care and diligence, to ensure cleaner, more equal access and affordability to better public transport. Gentrification does not mean more town centre spending on staples, affordable access to rail and bus networks can.

Please add your voice in support. Thank you.

Our Public Meeting Forum in Sheffield is open to all, 

BRTA SHEFFIELD FORUM

Saturday 19 July 2025 1pm lunch 2-4pm business

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

Please see our website for more: https://brtarail.com/events/

Have we got the cycle, pedestrian and re-railing communities balances right?

See also this useful report, which adds to the discussion: https://www.transportforqualityoflife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Vision-led-planning-v1.5.pdf

In Lewes, East Sussex they have a new cycle-footpath alongside the A27, as these audiences wish to go the same way and be segregated from a busy and dangerous road, underscored by the under-parr local South Coast Railway between Brighton and Ashford, which needs upgrading with re-doubling throughout, electrification and a new direct avoiding line at Eastbourne between Polegate and Stone Cross. Our beef is that rather than put these dedicated cycle-pedestrian-ways on old railway formations wanted for reopening, why not a nationwide scheme for every trunk and motorway to be mandated to have a segregated cycle-footpath alongside?

See: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-65921577

What transport-wise this country needs is a network of cycle/walk-ways alongside trunk roads and motorways across England and retain former railway corridors for re-railing wherever possible if demand can be ascertained?

Instead we are clashing local rail connectivity with nature, cycling and walking, which should not be the case! We need the government to demand every agency and council to work together for traffic reduction strategies not just on paper but in delivery terms with rewards for doing it and override if they do not.We desperately need a modal shift from road to rail - people and goods, without the robust network a programme of local rail reopenings and select new pieces of railway cannot deliver it. Modal shift is not do-able on any scale like turning a mere 10% freight by rail to 80% by rail and off the roads. Emissions from vehicle pollution are harming people, boosting NHS waiting lists and costing everyone avarice.

The 1960's local rail closures are the root of where we are today and people, places and environmental concerns need choice of transport, affordable public transport and capacity enhancements to enable the trains, the freight and more access rail routes to enable volume switch from road to rail. Switching funding from new roads to local rail reopenings can also mean in austerity times, new money is not necessarily required. All regions need their fair share!

https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons

Please email your local MP and request support for these things nationwide as well as local particulars. 

Join BRTA and offer to help:

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

Walking and cycling is essential as is a decent and comprehensive local rail network... which is where British Steel could also be extremely useful. Join the dots, now is the time to re-rail Great Britain. Today Lewes in East Sussex; from now, the rest of the UK please!

BRTA Newsletter is available via our loop to ceo@brtarail.com