BRTA supports reopening a Gloucester-Hereford rail link via Ross on Wye

 I attach an agenda for our forth-coming forum which is open to all, so all welcome.

BRTA supports calls for a study into the case merits, feasibility and engineering solutions for reopening a Gloucester-Ross-on-Wye-Hereford direct rail link.

Whatever the merits of the past, the rail link offers:

1. Sustainable footfall and spend to the places it would service.

2. Less road traffic, road and bridge wear and tear/maintenance costs and land-use parking demand outsripping supply, land which could be used for more productive things like employment, conservation and social housing for example.

3. Make managing increasing demand and visorship more manageable and accessible for all, not just car-dependency and prince managed.

4. The direct link with Gloucester and Hereford would benefit both places and all in between with new flows of spend and trade, sustaining small-medium businesses and employment.

5. Cut congestion through choice and land-lost to road upgrades and motorway-isation. The spin-offs of road reliance is oil and rubber particle run-offs to rivers and streams, harming wildlife and places for swimming and water extraction.

6. It is likely also, people will recognise that being linked at both ends to a wider nationwide rail network, opens up to increased and dyverse reaches and ranges of audiences to better appreciate what the areas it would serve have to offer all-year-round, not just seasonally.

7. More comprehensive rail links help to offer the potential for more freight by rail, from timber to containers, but rail islaso bursting at the seams trying to get back into smaller goods like parcels and smaller inter-model trainloads as well. How about incentives for Amazon and Royal Mail to send parcels by rail more and a drop-off/collect point at every station? These are just what the environment needs and would boost the public too. See an example: https://www.varamis.co.uk/ We need these models to be made nationwide and re-opening local rail links enables more choice, access and mobility for all alongside innovation with government incentives and encouragement for the environment's sake.

Please give us your support. You can find out more on our website: https://brtarail.com/our-campaigns/

Saturday, 25 July at 2pm lunch and 3-5pm business at The Regal, 33 St Aldate Street, Kings Square, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL1 1RP (Phone 01452-332344). Convenor Simon Barber: admin@brtarail.com Phone (landline): 020-8940-4399 Phone (mobile): 07522-374740

Agenda

1.              Election of a Chairperson for the meeting

2.              Appointment of a notes/minute taker.

3.  River Severn Estuary Bridge: More capacity by rail is needed for passenger and freight by rail between England and Wales and vice versa.

4.  Gloucester-Ross-Hereford: Bring on the study, but some relocation packages may be needed and engineering solutions found.

5.  Kemble-Cirencester: Cirencester (population: 20, 229 – 2021 Census): Is the route blocked? Is there deviation spaces? Can a new route be sorted? Where would services run from or to?

6.  Stratford – Honeybourne-Cheltenham: Warwickshire not playing ball with road over rail route, but can change prevail, ditton the Cheltenham end running via a new route to link with existing Network Rail Lines?

7.  Cotswold Line (Oxford-Worcester-Hereford): Has a RUG Group already. Is it double track throughout and what of Witney and Carterton getting a new-build rail link?

8.  Bristol Metro: Happening already.

9.  Any Other Business

10.             Date, time and place of next meeting – Hereford?

Notes:

Please check our website: https://brtarail.com/events/

Best ways to support is:

1.  Join BRTA

2.  Join our free email loop via richard.erta@gmail.com

3. Email your MP and get them on board: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons?sort=1

4.  Email your local media in favour of the reopening and state some reasons why. richard.erta@gmail.com