Re: N/2018/0264/'Land for Road Development at St James Mill Road'

                                                                                                                                                06 March 2018

Press Release

Re: N/2018/0264/'Land for Road Development at St James Mill Road'

ERTA has lodged an objection to this proposed local road infill scheme. We are concerned it will impinge in a detrimental way the former Northampton-Bedford/Brackmills Branch corridor and make reopening much harder if not prohibitively so. We are of the view, following positive studies in the last 20 years beit the Handley Study, LSMMMS, Capita Symonds for Connex and several others, which indicate the line could provide a worthwhile role and function beneficial to the areas it would serve including Northampton. We are of the view the railway would enable a quicker transit between Northampton and Bedford, East-West Rail to Cambridge – quicker and cheaper than changing at Bletchley; fast single train access to Luton Airport Station and the Waterside Campus. The rejuvenation of the town centres with more footfall and spend minus the traffic is another benefit commensurate to make this corridor worthy of protection, further study, case making and appeal to Chris Grayling to invest in re-railing Northampton. The road scheme seems to link 2 congestion hot spots with no way out of the current congested London Road artery.

Richard Pill, ERTA Media Spokesperson said “This is short termism at best and myopia at worst failing to see the wider picture. The road scheme at cost of a railway option for Northampton is extremely parochial and just filters traffic into already congested road arteries. Our call is cut traffic and nurture walking, cycling and better public transport options”

End of Press Release

Further comment: Mr Richard Pill, ERTA Media Spokesperson T. 01234 330090/E. richard.erta@gmail.com

Download this pro-forma model letter and add you objection to the St James' Link Road to protect the integrity of the railway corridor please:

Free pdf emailed newsletter offer!

The March-April Newsletter of ERTA is now out and a complimentary copy can be requested without obligation via Mr Richard Pill, richard.erta@gmail.com. Thank you. Here's our front page!

Bedford-Bletchley new trains but are they detri-mental?

http://vivarail.co.uk/

https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/vivarail-s-d-trains-confirmed-for-bedford-bletchley

Vivarail Trains have been ordered for the operation of the Bedford-Bletchley local all stopper passenger trains. Key question is:
1. Do they have forward seating - leisure line - people like to see out of windowns/charm/appeal/selling point.
2. Will they have capacity to take bikes, luggage, bags, perishables, post/other light weight transit commodities as well as people? Capacity enhanced or restricted in a context of being marketed by professionals for growth? If their task is merely keep topping up whilst the service hemmorraghes over all that could be akin to a hampser on the tread mill?! A job, but dysfunctional if overall performance is not enhanced.
3. Will the trains be DOO or retain a Guard/Conductor?
4. Will timetable be enhanced to clock face hourly off peak and half hourly peak am/lunch and pm?
5. Will there be a Sunday and Bank Holiday service introduced in a timely manner?
6. Will these trains be able to cope with the gradient up to Ridgmont from Bedford and keep pace in all weathers?
7. Will these trains retain a toilet provision as now?
In short, is this 'welcomed news/good news' story a real advance or merely a changing of the guard from clapped out 153 and 150 sprinters to old London Underground rolling stock, refurbished to service Cinderlla Branch Lines as a prelude to closure or Tram or Guided Busway/truncation? If it were Turbo type trains I'd have more confidence, but sadly I feel we're being fobbed off by professionals who drive along the line and go to meetings but are lack lustre and fail to grasp, let alone bring off what is long standing issues and long over due upgrade to a more serious investment and operation including end to end (yes East-West Rail will offer that but Open Access invites for a Watford-Bedford-Corby-Melton Mowbray and either Nottingham via reopening Old Dalby branch or circular via Syston and Leicester and back - giving commuters more options?) and diversity of services. The Steer Davis Gleave Report circa 2001 said a new station serving the Retail Park and footbridge at Kempston would bring and extra 100 passengers daily to the local service - how much more today? Yet we hear nothing on this window of robust opportunity born of investment? Likewise electrifcation infill between WCML and Midland Main Line/Bletchley/Bedford could allow Southern's West London to do one train to MK Central and one to Bedford and Corby ultimately going forward, giving Southern a half hourly pathing between Bletchley and Watford. Want to speed LNW services up and run more semi fasts? Share stations out with Southern and all get more for more.
Alas again, secret society amongst networks remains and the public are none the wiser! 

We need to democratise the transport industry and bring back something akin to the former Transport Users Consultative Committees (TUCC's)? http://vivarail.co.uk/ 

Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CelebBedfordBletchleyRly/

Northampton – Bedford Rail Reopenings Committee

Northampton – Bedford Rail Reopenings Committee

Saturday,12th May at Friends Meeting House (Quakers) School Room, Wellington Street, Northampton NN1 3AS. 1.30pm Contact/Enquiries/Offers of help and support via: Mr Simon Barber

T. 0208 940 4399, E. simon4barber@gmail.com

Press Release 22-02-2018

22 February 2018

Press Release

ERTA is a voluntary pro-public transport group which started originally in Bedfordshire in 1997 and has grown in reach and range to apply principles on coherent networks and foster conditions of access and service to suite a wide and diverse range of customers.

We advocate passenger and freight by rail, unblocking our roads and improving the air quality we all have to breathe! ERTA is a voluntary membership-based association seeking to restore strategic missing rail links and improve the environment as a result.

We’re seeking to grow our membership and team reach and range, to optimise chances of success. A new and growing team of dedicated individuals are required to find means and ways to deliver our projects including a railway station for the Kempston Retail Park, reopening a Bedford-Northampton rail link and ensuring the East-West Rail link serves Bedford from the East and West and is compatible for sending more freight by rail.

ERTA spokesperson Richard Pill say “The growth of development will put more traffic onto our roads and there is a crying need to bring rail access and services back to where people live and cut the journey time for commuting elsewhere.”

End of Press Release

Further comment: Mr Richard Pill, ERTA Media Spokesperson 01234 330090 /richard.erta@gmail.com

Northampton-Bedford Rail Link Committee - All Welcome

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The Bedford-Northampton rail link if restored beit East-West Rail compliment and/or Midland Main Line passenger and freight contributor and relief to current trains going into, across and out of London via MK Central Station, relieving paths for other trains. It is a mystery as to the hard sell some make on the contribution HS2 will enable. 

Will it be a clincial self contained railway with dedicated High Speed Trains going 180 mph or will it allow other trains onto it's tracks which may have 125 mph capability all mixed together - varying trains, varying speeds? This is unclear and I suspect HS will not want other trains. So it could be a shift of seats from West Coast and Midland Main Lines to HS - will there be any extra costs associated with gains of time end to end journeys? This again seems unsure. 

Hard sells and realities may differ but Bedford-Northampton could deliver real results. See letter from Hutchinson Ports for evidence on what it could offer - benefits for Bedford, Milton Keynes, London and Northampton. So this is why we desperately need a halt to expansion north of Olney, for a route alignment to be protected and set aside as greenbelt and for formal professional interest and support to grow. For this we need a growing team of helpers and volunteers, friends and networking to grow and influence organisations like East-West Rail, Railfuture, English Economic Heartlands, Dft, Chris Grayling, the media and others to take some interest and see the strategic rail opportunity here and give support, insist development be tailored to retain the rail link option and forge cross local government boundary collaboration. 

Our Council at Bedford for example may not have funds to commission a study as to the benefits and contribution the railway could make, but what does it cost to convene a round table and grow a network of support?

Join ERTA to help improve Northampton’s rail connections and give more options in transport choice. The bus link to Bedford take 1.5 hours to do 21.5 miles and this holds back the trade and job commute options our towns could be sharing with each other.

Northampton – Bedford Rail Reopenings Committee Saturday, 12th May at Friends Meeting House (Quakers) School Room, Wellington Street, Northampton NN1 3AS. 1.30pm Contact/Enquiries/Offers of help and support via: Mr Simon Barber
T. 0208 940 4399, E. simon4barber@gmail.com

https://ertarailvolunteer.blogspot.co.uk/

I look forward to seeing you there. Please feel free to invite others. People can make free-will donations to ERTA via PayPal on our website: https://ertarail.com/donate/  All donations help with our costs and informing front line flyers which reach out into communities. 

Our membership and workload expands and so together we can make a critical difference. Be part of that, as what we sow today or not, will be the issues of tomorrow. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

ERTA Officer.

Volunteer Opportunity

ERTA is seeking a keen, capable and enthuiastic person/s to a. maintain our existing website b. develop a website dedicated to growing membership, donations and support for our Cobbler Line project - reopening a Bedford-Northampton rail link and c. helping trouble shoot IT issues as they may arise. Most of our team are not into technology much and need ideally younger people brought up in such cultures who know it like the back of their hand. If interested contact Mr Simon Barber: T. 0208 940 4399, E. simon4barber@gmail.com

https://ertarail.com/membership/