This rail reopening would link East Midlands and North West (Derby and Manchester) and vice versa. That is sustainable footfall, spend and regeneration. It has been a long running campaign which BRTA supported before, during and now going forward too.
The main driving force is: https://www.
Please email your MP in support: https://members.
Some may ask why? This railway, like Colne-Skipton: https://www.selrap.org.uk/ has turned a corner whereby they have successfully courted local authority support and a study has been done showing the case to be robust for reopenings.
These two are candidates along with Witney in Oxfordshire and one or two others for government consideration.
In Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire we have not been so lucky. Even if you get as far as the Peak Rail Project has to restore the through rail line, objections to possible re-routing of the Monsal Trail to accommodate a railway and government which can turn around as per Witney and say "no money"; means the queue of qualifiers grows, whilst lesser successes are subject to attack of cynical dismissal, no case jibes and other development agendas which are not being made to consider protecting rail corridors let alone including rail to reduce the impact of sprawling developments on the road system, neighbourhoods, pollution and deteriorating public health and environmental effects.
BRTA plays a role and we are growing. But the wider public need to tell politicians that in many cases we want our tracks and trains back and that it makes sense for modal shift planning back from a roads-based economy to rail, or at least a level playing field and a robust rail network for people and goods than we currently have and which these local-regional reopenings can engenda.
The Peak District National Park would be served by this rail artery, cutting encroachments on grass verges and the sheer intrusion on the environment mass motoring and traffic/tourism and over-kill can inform.
Someone has to clean up and the land used for parking spaces is land which cannot be used for other things like employment, social housing and conservation for example.
The government says it has no money, it is busy renationalising the railways, but privatising the roads it seems? It is prioritising HS2 as 'part of the railway' to the tune of £1 billion per mile and delivery 2039.
BRTA also notes the government is spending £billions on new and upgraded roads, whilst saying no money for local-regional rail reopenings. It cancelled the Restore Your Railway Fund, specific funding for reopenings, now the agenda is being suffocated amidst many other demands and what would it take for a specific fund for reopenings to be brought back in some shape for form? £500 million for the whole nation is inadequate, but the principle of a specific, targeted fund, is a much needed one to help usher schemes along towards approval.
East-West Rail (Oxford-Bedford-Cambridge) celebrates the 40th anniversary of the launch of a public meeting to get Oxford-Milton Keynes reopened (December 1986), when the tracks just needed upgrading and progressively as more services and freight used it. Alas it was mothballed and allowed to rot, decades demanding continuous studies and under Labour and Tory, not delivery! Now at £billions Bicester-Bletchley is 'open' as a spankingly brand new built railway, but no passenger services. There seems no rush for the Secretary of State for Transport to wade in and try and reach a deal between management and unions. This, unlike the NHS Doctors Striking and Government engaging to try and stop them?!
The danger is that 'stable government', can also need speeding up, a failure to deliver, can mean drift and paralysis and there are urgent needs including lowering emissions and providing cleaner public transport choices at affordable prices. Whether public or private delivers, the jury may be out, but meanwhile we need a pragmatic system and lead from governments of all tiers to move towards more rail reopenings and reinstatements the length and breadth of Britain.
It is no use complaining and providing jobs, if the transport is not there at accessible rates, to enable young people to engage. Local rail enables more and reduces the effects of congestion, delays and spiralling costs of wasted time and delusions. The railways were a bedrock of employment on and off the rails and informs skills which can be used in a variety of fields.
Conductors on trains (formerly Guards) are not a 'waste' they can provide information, sell tickets, ensure the smooth operation of the services provided and act as front-line people to deter problems or raise the alarm when something is awry. richard.erta@gmail.com https://brtarail.com/events/
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