ERTA Guildford and South East Zoom Meeting

ERTA Guildford and South East Zoom Meeting

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Elected Representatives,

I attach details of our forthcoming Zoom Meeting 8th May 14.00 hours. All Welcome/Open to all. To register please contact Mr Iain Sear and for copies of pdf agendas attached to send to others, request via me please richard.erta@gmail.com.

Our effort depends on available human and other resources being available. As lock down is lifted, we hope to resume some physical meetings alongside.

The Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham rail corridor should be seen as a strategic corridor and investment to study the case, protect from development blight and keep the option open for what it could offer regionally and locally should be a top priority of every agency, council tier and MP's and we court the public also to that end. 

Relief to the Brighton Main Line, new travel journey opportunities and here we have calls for a Heathrow rail link from Woking, but not an equivalent the other direction south of Guildford to Cranleigh, Horsham and Shoreham for Brighton and these audiences vice versa to Guildford, Heathrow and Reading. Whatever the entrenched views on Guildford and capacity, calling at and going onto somewhere clears platforms for the next arrival and so forth, should make some common sense and thus more destinations to and from should be seen as expedient.

In the recovery, footfall and spend will be a contribution better public transport can make. ERTA is flagging up an opportunity, if it is blocked, recovery will be much harder, therefore, please write in support of the railway to your local MP's. Local Councils are best placed to do audits and lists. Work with us, please do take a lead. The future of green, sustainable public transport is in the balance. Let's work to keep options open. Agenda attached. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

ERTA Chairman.

Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham Rail Reopening Group ~ Part of ERTA

Horsham Public Meeting – 
Reopen the Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham Railway for local benefit.

The meeting is open to all and is to be known as 
‘Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham Rail Re-opening Group’ 
Please give support and help build the consensus for the rebuild of the local, conventional rail link to serve and link communities together for the benefit of all, cutting congestion, freeing up parking spaces, bringing footfall and spend to areas.

Day/Date: Saturday 7^th September, 

Time: 2pm-4pm

Place: Horsham Unitarian Church, Worthing Rd, Horsham RH12 1S

(adjacent to local bus station with regular buses with the local railway station)

Purpose:

Ø    To bring people together

Ø    To grow support and recruit members to ERTA for wider good

Ø    To allocate roles and responsibility for covering the various facets the project presents

Ø    To appoint volunteers as helpers to act as local coordinators to ensure the smooth, principled and consistent goals are adhered to.

A mini outline report may be produced in due course as a sales/introductory tool. Clearly any volunteers or contributors welcome to entertain.

https://ertarail.com/events/ or T. 0208 940 4399

On Saturday 22nd June 2019 some 12 people came together at the local Wetherspoons in Horsham to discuss the prospect of rebuilding a Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham Rail Link. Whilst many have varying views and ideas of preference, the ERTA line is and must be to plum for a conventional railway rebuild with deviations where blockages exist such as Cranleigh for example. The process requires on the one hand a dedicated trackbed watch and orchestration to protect the route with access at both ends to existing lines and lands to ensure deviation where blockages may exist are kept clear. The rail link could offer the following (by no means exhaustive list!): Ø    A quick and handy local connection between two large and developing towns and intermediate expanding populations. Ø    Local commuting for work, school, shopping and wide travel by rail Ø    It would relieve the Brighton main line and free up capacity/reduce overcrowding.

Ø    A fast, flexible choice to car reliance and contributor to free up parking spaces for others, reduce congestion and associated air pollution Ø    Horsham – Shoreham ‘South Downs’ Link giving direct access from points north, east and west of Guildford to Brighton et al and vice versa Ø    Access between Reading/Guildford and Horsham/Crawley and approach Gatwick from the south Ø    Access for the Horsham and connections lines to Guildford and Heathrow for example, with or without an extra runway! Our basic aims are: Ø    Build local support and consensus that the rebuild is a good thing and grow support for it to be done sooner than later. Ø    Appoint Local Area Reps. To cover both the Guildford and Horsham ends of the line and interim (ideally someone for Cranleigh or group) who attend the various Forums and meetings and liaise with ERTA core team. Ø    Get local MP’s and Councils on board to form consortia and pool resources/apply with other agencies for study funds to tick all required boxes!

Guildford-Horsham et al

Follow this link: http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildford-horsham-railway-line-reopen-13970405

Join us as a member of ERTA to cement support and action: https://ertarail.com/membership/

Everyone can contribute something.

Join us on Twitter also: https://twitter.com/L2Bnewraillink