East-West Rail and Bedford Rail Conundrums

re: https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/transport/bedford-mayor-blasts-east-west-rail-over-treatment-of-residents-during-meeting-with-company-3750103

This seems to be a widening of the tent of opposition to the rail route going north and east of Bedford Midland Station. It is ERTA's view that if the East-West Rail goes north of Bedford (Route E), it will require track re-working, expansion of tracks and platform capacity and that means land-take. Bedford Midland is something of a capacity bottleneck already, Bedford-Bletchley usage is capped with access to MML north of Bedford because of the capacity of getting through the Bedford Midland 'box'. I feel that given Cllr Michael Headley has been on the Board and Council, he should have flagged these issues up prior to the 2019 Consultation, which was flawed and perverse. Instead Borough wants cake and eat it and is playing the field to position itself as a possible objector to the Bedford-Cambridge leg of the overall scheme. Its failure to support the rail link going east of Bedford via St John's is why we are where we are. If either EWRC or Bedford Borough supported the rail link going east via St John's, that is what we will support. Otherwise it is a stand-off and the clock is ticking, wasting time and energy for nothing.

In short, the message is clear:

1. There is a current need for more tracks and platform capacity at Bedford Midland 'box'

2. Add East-West Rail and that is doubly true (no. 1)

3. In our view 6 tracks will be needed if Northern Route E is pursued.

4. If Borough lines up against it, the question then is how will trains go on to Cambridge et al?

5. Our route via St John's area and east of Bedford makes a load of operational sense:

a. allows east-north movement of trains

b. weeds out east-west rail movements not for passenger interface i.e. Bedford Midland (capacity)

c. enables a new Bedford-Northampton option to be entertained

d. Even if you opt for a 'glass half full' Oxford-Bedford rail via Bedford only, you will still need more capacity - tracks and platform capacity at Bedford Midland for these new train movements and also more access to Midland Main Line-East West Rail for west-north and vice versa train movements

e. St John's area -Bedford Midland is currently 10 mph, more trains means upgrades needed to enable quicker end-to-end timings. Current layout does not lend itself to that, a point I pressed to Cllr Roydon about 5 years ago.

Of course we would be delighted if the Mayor, Borough, Cllr Headley, David Devenish, Senior Pastor at Woodside Church contacted me (local area rep) and engaged in meaningful conversations to sort things out. Instead, we're getting political football, fudge and playing to the EWRC one minute and then playing to north of A4280 objectors gallery the next. This is not the way to go, rather via Bedford St John's. I remind folks that in 1988, I was told the cycleway was to protect the rail route and therefore should either go next to a railway with a fence or be reworked to do the same job, but not on the railway corridor. As to fauna and flora, railways exist better with nature than 24x7 roads. Once a train goes by, all is quiet, roads, especially main roads are 24x7. The latter is what has been opted for by councils, governments and subsidiary agencies for the last 5 decades and unless we get a rail link east of Bedford 'all singing, all dancing', roads, congestion and pollution is the lot - that which erodes the charm of an otherwise nice place to live, namely, Bedford.

A problem for us x nationwide stretched coverage, is we lack resources, and sadly in these sorts of theatres, is used against us and yet these problems and implications are perfectly resolvable.

As for quisling sooth-sayers who say "three trains per hour plus one freight won't need more tracks, upgrades and platform capacity" to marginalise what we say, consider this: what goes into Bedford Midland or through it, also comes back, so by their own tacit admission, we're talking a minimum of an extra 8 trains per hour on that basis. Add to that growth - beit frequency or length of trains or extra and our calls - and indeed seeking to see the design - seem more reasonable. Realism is what can work, head-in-sand is trying to get pints into quarts.

This plan: 

https://mayordave.org.uk/en/article/2022/1431238/final-local-plan-2040-consultation-begins seems daft and detrimental to achieving a proper east-west rail which:

1. Goes east of St John's in Bedford and approaches the Tempsford area from the south western angle, not the northern route e, which has much against it, not least the solution to engaging Black Cat Roundabout, River Great Ouse and to cap it all and make things even more complicated Bedford Borough/The Mayor endorses a load of housing to boot! An interchange station is no substitute for physical rail connectivity between the north-south main line and the east-west rail. Failure to physically connect and plan adequate land to enable that at this stage, north or south of Tempsford Station Road, seems churlish, nonsensical. This, regardless of route.

2. Our route avoids Poets demolitions and that of Ravensden, it avoids Black Cat Roundabout + River Great Ouse crossing. So if you tunnel under A1, you still have to cross the River Great Ouse!

3. Kempston Hardwick? A load of houses, A421? When the 4 decade un-delivered cry is for the Retail Park at Kempston to have a station with a large population, easy walking, cycling and bus access, why not do that where clear immediate demand exists? More traffic means more queues down Ampthill Road to turn to the Retail Park with no remedy and disenfranchisement for pedestrians crossing busy roads. It is bad planning, bad for the environment and the Borough should consult before putting these plans forward with us and others. 

4. If the Borough blocks the old St John's site with housing, it locks-in northern route e or bust. That is unwise to say the least. Our route takes on A421 and A603 traffic, northern route e, provides nothing for no-one locally and is avariced cost, upheaval and a poor substitute for the original route visa vee Willington and new build on embankment (flood aversion) to cross Ivel River, A1 and enter Tempsford area.

Please don't double-cross us, Bedford and think again. Meanwhile land needs saving for stations north of Bedford at (Beds area) Oakley and Sharnbrook to spread the load, use the slow lines so as not to bung up the fast lines. Modest car parking, encouraging drop offs, walking, cycling and bus connectivity. I doubt Bedford Midland will be able to cater given land available and unwanted multi-storey car park blight on houses opposite in Ashburnham Road. 

5. If you settle (cynically) for just Oxford-Bedford, block off east of St Johns and so forth, any new rail for the Bedford-Cambridge 'gap' will have to avoid Bedford with more upheaval and costs. Make no mistake, you can influence a better outcome now. Then, we won't have such a luxury and yet the gap remains, roads alone cannot cope, are accident prone and congestion has not been ameliorated as media once portrayed by bypasses, rather volumes have grown to fill extra capacity. We cannot go on like this, you seem to be blowing in the wind of pseudo opportunism amidst the fan-fare of plethora of events, but sustainable businesses being a 6-8 month wonder before the shop is empty again. We need sustainable footfall and spending to the town centre and only public transport can deliver that - bus and rail respectively.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

ERTA Chairman

From 18-06-2022 above:

re: https://mayordave.org.uk/en/article/2022/1430941/rail-strategy-sets-out-mayor-dave-s-priorities-for-bedford-borough

ERTA supports the east-west rail project but wants the route east of Bedford to go via the old route east of Bedford St Johns to a new alignment around Willington to link with the physical north-south main line in the Tempsford area. What it does after that is for Cambs to determine. But in any case, a north-east curve from St Neots onto the east-west rail, would enable all south of Peterborough direct rail access to Addenbrookes, Cambourne, Cambridge and possibly Stansted as well as East Anglia, places like Ipswich direct? 

We don't agree with a new main line and cramming in on just 4 lines north of Bedford, more capacity and lines will be needed unless you adopt the old route with passenger workings out of two new bays facing south at Bedford Midland (redesigned). 

On Bedford-Northampton rail link would have to avoid Olney and so whereas the old Victorian route went curve south to align with Olney, off Stevington Walk to curve north, east of Yardley through Castle Ashby southern estate to link the old route into Great Houghton. That is my thinking, would require a viaduct over Great Ouse north of Lavendon on a south-east trajectory. But consider this: 1. our route into St John's from the east, allows east-Midland Main Line/MML north routing though Bedford Midland, Route E does not. 2. Our route would have a flyover off slow tracks and a new bridge over Great Ouse to cross MML at height (flyover) and off westwards. Route E makes no provision, despite: a. Northampton, part of Golden Triangle b. Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal/DIRFT access/inland port c. WCML access. If passenger trains are scaled back to Milton Keynes Central due to capacity on West Coast Main Line/WCML issues, surely more long freight off Bedford-Bletchley tracks would mess that up too? Therefore Bedford-Northampton 'new' makes a load of operational sense surely with Thameslink arm on the back - old Connex terminating at Rugby? 

Open to chat, but Retail Park Station, Kempston should be sacrosanct as would serve more population and direct Ampthill Road congestion, contrast out-of-way Kempston Hardwick? d. via St John's from the east enables direct east-west to flow by rail without all through Bedford Midland, which eases capacity and optimises potential, ditto linking north-south East Coast Main Line/ECML somewhere in the Tempsford area. Rebuild Bedford Midland by all means, but capacity is premium now, so we need to think honestly and strategically. North of Bedford, stations at Oakley, Sharnbrook, Irchester, Burton Latimer, Desborough and Kibworth on the slows as well as Ampthill (south) are required to spread the load in a context of growth alleviate concentrates of traffic like at A428/A6 junction in Clapham Road, which really does throw all vehicles in one proverbial 'basket'! 

Always happy to discuss, be invited to round table discussions. But I feel the political spin is to aspire to have cake and eat it, when Northern Route E, does not deliver what is required and playing down, whilst seeking to block the old east-west rail route off with housing, locks-in a straight-jacket. If we are listened to and included, outlets and personnel will find us congenial enough, but if excluded for power or plough-through, we will watch as things unfold and be thoroughly entertained probably! 

So, please communicate and give us your support/help keep Bedford's rail options 'open'. For a copy of our Kempston Retail Park Station document, please email richard.erta@gmail.com or any other related matter/join our loop. See https://ertarail.co.uk/publicity/ for our other documents.

Join ERTA and donate via https://ertarail.co.uk/ and join our free email address: richard.erta@gmail.com

https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/council-double-down-on-their-opposition-of-east-west-rail-six-track-proposal/

Comment: This seems to be rubbish quite frankly! 1. Cllr Headley has been a board member for a long time and not once has he ever initiated a meeting or round table with ME, despite my being involved since the mid 1980's and used to go to his Church at Woodside one of whose Leaders did live in the Ravensden area. Working together, talking and exploring options should be seen as healthy, instead we have stealth with convulsions. "We want a church/solution built on relationships, not institution". 2. The Mayor could talk and reconsider going east of Bedford via St John's which would resolve many conflicts and issues and with difficult issues like Cardington Road, you lobby and grow a coalition to get what is required. If you look at Cauldwell Street rail bridge, maybe a similar one for Cardington Road could be done if speed is reduced to 20 mph? What studies for accommodation? Fenlake Road could be made one-way off Cardington Road as a slip-way access to London Road? 3. If, as I suspect some say, they want Oxford-Bedford and will happen, fine, but then that still leaves a. the gap between Bedford, East Coast Main Line at Tempsford (Sandy is blocked off, thanks Central Beds Council former Mid Beds District Council) and Cambridge/East Anglia generally and vice versa. b. More bay or through track capacity will be needed at Bedford Midland Station with remodelling to accommodate more trains coming and possibly terminating there. London Commuters won't want to be held up outside whilst Platform 1 & 2 are occupied by either passenger trains off East-West Rail or long freights x however many there is. 4. As someone has said, the east-west rail plan makes no provision for east-north movements anywhere and coming in via Bedford St Johns area from the East enables that whilst also allowing non-Bedford Midland/freight to go east-west without recourse to Bedford Midland. 5. I do not believe if the Northern Route E is adopted, it will be possibly to put all trains on the slow lines existing and more lines will be required. So, someone, somewhere is playing politics, when it is avoidable. Despite challenges, old route is straighter, flater, quicker and probably saves money. It was preferred route - notwithstanding new build east of Willington to the Tempsford area now needed. Again physical links with main north-south main line could enable Peterborough, Cambridge, East Bedfordshire and Stevenage access to Bedford County Town and vice versa, why not do it? https://eastwestrail.co.uk/get-in-touch

ERTA News, Views and Organisation - Join up and be part of the pro-affirma answer!

13-08-2022:

The ERTA Bedford Forum meeting is 2pm back of Pilgrims Progress tomorrow and all are welcome to join us. I attach the agenda we will aim to discuss around and subject to human and other resources and help, will and do aspire to move forward.

Loads going on, with the east-west rail debate in Bedford. 

Our other events are on our website: 

https://ertarail.co.uk/events/ Feel free to tap in. 

If any enquiries, please contact me on richard.erta@gmail.com

ERTA is clear, we need to marry the inequality and cost of living crisis with care and good stewardship of land and the environment in balance, not play one off with each other whilst bending over backwards to appease a falsehood of a. burning fossil fuel, endless and cheap supply ad infinitum, b. finding £30 billion plus for new roads, whilst defering even ready-to-go rail projects like Bristol-Portishead, let alone failing to protect old rail routes, realignment spaces and select new build rail corridors from development blocking them? Government is not doing this critical spade work, is not even pursuing road-rail equality, rather still wants cake and eat it and plays to the gallery. 

How do we take it out of government hands without scenarios of bull dozers turning up at places and people being given hours notices to move out? That is what the Third World is used to, bad enough for them, but we must reject it whilst getting political set ups and individuals with power to inform a solution to these vexations, than compound or short cut proper public health, safety, land use, environment, health care and enough for all is taken into consideration and given due process which does not cost the earth of divide and rule on supressive affordability inequalities. Looking for work costs: time, education, transport, relocation etc. 

But the demand is blinkered to this very often, it is left to the individual.

ERTA's public transport aspirations wants more fair play for all and cherish the best, bring up the lower eschalons to enablement and empowerment to engage comprehensively. 

Finally, nationwide or local, if you know anyone who may be interested in joining our email loop to get our newsletter, please feel free to recommend them to us or us to them accordingly and pass on our contact details. Thank you.

Pre 13-06-2022

Chris Hyomes is our Northern Area Rep and is building a team to make progress to support and usher these sorts of schemes along. We fully support him and the scheme itself and welcome more news and development to that end. ERTA is growing and doing more, but Governmental shift from road to rail still is not full throttle in policy, process or delivery emphasis it seems.

We need more Executive Committee members to help with things like administration, membership support, marketing events and external work on lobbying MP's, Councils and other outlets and agencies. Please help us do more and enable us to be better. 

We all have respective strengths and in some cases and I include myself, weaknesses. I am not overly technical, but am better than some, whereas people who grew up with modern digitality, it is second nature. 

Getting younger people 18-60 to join and get involved, to see relevance to their lives now and in the future is a worthwhile challenge to court success with as well. Sadly we live in an ageing population and whilst that generation is welcome too, unless like many organisations, we replenish our teams with new people, we will decline or be hindered in scope. Many are analogue in a digital age and we need to reflect all ages in scope to reflect our relevance to wider society at large.

It takes all to make a team and as long as I remain chairman, hopefully will retain the broad welcome of all members and volunteers to enable ERTA to be as good as it can be. 

Thank you all for your contributions and membership is a grand start! 

https://thestrayferret.co.uk/ambitious-bid-to-reinstate-harrogate-ripon-northallerton-trainline/

Meanwhile, any support for our southern campaign for restoring a variant of the former Polegate-Stone Cross direct line to shave 20 minutes off end-to-end Ashford-Brighton services and inform more potential operational flexibility for freight and modal shift, we welcome support. Freight of course is not just containers or aggregates, it can be all shapes and sizes from parcels to pallets to other creative applications, it needs nurture and getting the Government to play its part in incentivising, is a crucial part of the jigsaw. What will it take? Likewise, an 'ahead-of-the-game' opposition with a vision, faith and aspiration that has a 'can-do' attitude and approach, not just shadowing or reflecting what others are doing.

I extend a welcome to recent new members and our new Patron. Our website shows what events are coming up: https://ertarail.co.uk/events/ Please tune in and make common cause with us. We can always do more, if we have the team, especially locally living to do it. Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, South of London  to the South Coast, North of England and the West Country are all areas we need to grow more. We are on the case, slowly but surely! 

The model we have is first membership as gateway, then area repping to recruit more and identify issues and then forum facilitation to bring people together, assign roles and take the campaigns to where they need to go. Some have a 'you get on with it' remote arm approach, whereas our constitution and website makes clear, the Executive Committee is about enablement, facilitation and ensuring the administration of the association, it is its members who do the external work more. We fill in gaps sometimes, but like an octopus, our members are our ears, eyes, intelligence, roots and branches for forwarding the work in delegated form. Thank you.

Reopen a new Polegate-Stone Cross avoiding line!

 A new-build Polegate-Stone Cross avoiding line offers these opportunities:

1.      End-to-end timings shaved between Brighton and Ashford by 20 minutes

2.  More capacity into and out of Eastbourne for Capital-Gatwick-Resort access

3.      Make South Coast Rail competitive to the A27, giving realistic, attractive modal choice!

4.      Lure people out of cars, reduce congestion and locked-in road monopoly.

5.      Consider freight by rail more and all different sizes from parcels to pallets to aggregates and more!

These are just some benefits and we urgently need councils and agencies to stop developing over the route, weight the gains of reinstating it and act now before we scupper options!

If interested in helping nurture wider appreciation, please:

1. Join ERTA as a member: https://ertarail.co.uk/become-a-member/

2. Offer to be an area rep with recruiting and growing the team more in mind.

3. Write to the local MP asking for support: Caroline Ansell MP: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA 

Phone: 020 7219 3000

Email: caroline.ansell.mp@parliament.uk also Mr Huw Merriman MP, Bexhill and Battle, Constituency Office, 29-31 Sea Road, Bexhill on Sea

TN40 1EE Phone: 01424 736861 

Also sits on the Transport Select Committee!

4. Join our growing email loop for updates and newsletters: richard.erta@gmail.com

5. Write/email to Rother District Council and encourage them to commit to a study and explore options whilst keeping the land available for either-or old or new alignment avoiding lines for modal shift off roads passenger and freight by rail more. https://www.rother.gov.uk/ and also the Wealden District Council: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/ as well as all others from Brighton-Eastbourne-Bexhill-Hastings-Ashford/Kent. It is in all their interests for a healthy, bouyant and successful rail link, quick, dynamically better than upgraded roads and cutting time and congestion, the rail investment has much to offer these corridor arterys. Without the avoiding line, the rail currently is crippled and uncompetitive and that is less-than satisfactory. So, please give us your support, join ERTA and our free email loop and let's work at making in-rails together!

6. Write/email these as well: https://transportforthesoutheast.org.uk/ 

They should be leading from the front instead, seem to dither, be clueless, cost a shed load and a nice professionalise, clincial middle class lifestyle career builder. Is it any practical good, what and where are their local rail reopenings lists/pursuits? Unless we re-rail like Polegate - Stone Cross and that of Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham, we have little chance of traffic reduction, cutting pollution, speeding things up and tailoring development to rail infrastructure, not new road building and upgrades? Act now, Government demanding upward of £50k for studies, must either undertake to do them themselves and pay or cut the rot and save our railway solutions now on the basis of free, strategic thinking, investment, actions and a load of common sense! 

Great Central Corridor Re-Rail Project - a new railway for all!

25 May 2022

Press Release

 

Great Central Corridor New Rail Aspiration!

 

Given the HS2 project and other development has scuppered relaying track on the original Great Central Main Line, ERTA is of the view however, that a new domestic line along the corridor has merit, should be supported, studied and kept open as a viable option.

 

The new-build domestic rail link would leave the East-West Rail Link east of the proposed new Claydon Junction (linking Aylesbury with Milton Keynes) and west of built Claydon which is expanding as is most of the areas the new line would serve. It would go to the east of Brackley with a Parkway Station adjacent to the A43 with bus links to Silverstone.

 

A new Parkway Station at Rugby as an interim with phased incremental development or if a major backer sees the bigger picture and does ‘all in one’ as a whole project, a new-build link to the West Coast Main Line (WCML), Northampton Loop and Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT). A new link out of WCML via Magna Park, Lutterworth and linking the existing Leicester-Nuneaton lines in the Narborough area is envisaged.

 

The scope of the new railway is:

1. The immediate corridor between Old Oak Common-Calvert-Brackley-Rugby-Leicester/East Midlands.

2. Calvert – Rugby has a 3–5-mile population catchment of around 144, 000 plus through journeys and freight.

3. The scope of what this extra capacity creation railway could offer to road and rail enablement to do more by rail is a cordon of scope from London-Southampton-Bristol to Leicester/East Midlands and all in between.

“ERTA believes it is worth government, agencies and others taking an interest and we welcome a consortium of champion backers to buy into the idea and work it up towards delivery. HS2 of nature cannot serve intermediate places like Brackley, but upwards of 15, 000 population needs closer rail access, otherwise we just pour growth onto a road only agenda.” Said Richard Pill, ERTA Chairman and Media Spokesperson.

 

End of Press Release

 

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

 

Our meetings are open to all, so all welcome. 

Agenda for ERTA Great Central Corridor Re-Railing Project via Zoom: Colin Crawford (hosting a Great Central re-rail corridor Zoom Meeting: Mobile 07836-693977

E: colin.crawford1@btconnect.com on Thursday 7th July 1pm-3pm. He will send a link and help disseminate to potentially interested people. Richard to provide an agenda as a guide.

1. Appointment of a Chair for the meeting (Colin Crawford)

2. Apologies for absence

3. Update by Richard about what the project is and is not.

4. What we need to succeed and who, what and how supporters can get it (i.e., not solely Richard):

a. Route protection/recovery/realignment/new build sections

b. Raising funds for studies/encouraging others to study

c. Dedicated EEH Officer to make in-rails to their camp and influence them to support it, study it, poll people, talent and work towards delivery

d. Any offers to assist Richard in the effort (email/desktop style)

e. Any particular issues for and resolutions. See notes below:

5. Any reports on progress on Rugby (WCML)-Magna Park-Lutterworth-Narborough link up? Any offers to be our agent on that project and work with others to start progression towards delivery/secure the route/support/enablement?

6. Rugby Central. Yes, a new link via Barby to link with WCML/Northampton Loop/DIRFT needed, but could Rugby Central serve as a nodal Parkway status Station and terminal branch initially unless a big partner can deliver ‘all in one’?

7. Any other business (related)

8. Day, Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting, ideally a Saturday early September, not the 10^th.

Notes:

1. Note: we don’t want any dissent or against spiel, it is our policy to pursue it as far as it can go. If you support, get involved, if not, see the vacuum a modal shift needs and Climate Emergency and get out. We are trying to build a coalition of support, action and hope.

2. Too long has been spent delaying, deferring, denying and here, we must ruthlessly commit to supporting, engaging and enabling please.

3. Studies have been done via numerous outlets and the case was robust. Development has blocked, but I believe a route, a new railway to modern standards but not High Speed, able to deal with diverse passenger and freight capacity, can be found. If we do not bother, it defaults to roads, more roads, more congestion and ruins the landscape. We must act now.

4. Join our email loop via richard.erta@gmail.com and join ERTA via https://ertarail.co.uk/become-a-member/

and

ERTA Agenda for Rugby Forum – Saturday 9 July 2pm food, 3pm -5pm business Rupert Brooke, 8-10 Castle Street, Rugby, Warks. CV21 2TP https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/warwickshire/rupert-brooke-rugby

1. Appointment of a Chair person for the meeting.

2. Sign the attendance list and welcome, saying names around the table.

3. ERTA Re-Rail Project: a brief guide to what it is about and what it is not – Richard Pill

4. The ERTA Need: more members, more offers to help, to build the local support base up and encourage support at all levels. How best YOU can help with that, as we are busy with many other aspects and things. A need for local people to own and engage with this matter.

5. Any progress/reports on Rugby-Lutterworth-Narborough (linkage for Leicester etc) inclusive of Magna Park?

6. Consideration of solutions to problems, remembering this is in all probability a new railway, built to modern standards and able to handle passenger and freight usage, contrast HS2 passenger only with no station between Solihull and Old Oak Common, however informed, it is both a gap and vacancy for a domestic railway to fill.

7. Getting England’s Economic Heartlands (EEH) and Connect Midlands agencies on board more/any volunteers to bridge between them for winning them over more to our way of thinking?

8. Route consideration:

a. coming off east-west rail east of new Claydon Junction, west of built Claydon in a context of development expansion a given?

b. A study is needed to getting around Brackley to the East with Parkway Station near A43

c. Woodford Halse is blocked and parish needs winning over – any volunteers.

d. Rugby Central as an interim nodal point terminus Parkway Station, with a new link via Barby to join Northampton Loop/WCML somehow, somewhere needs a specific study/phased, incremental assessment by professionals. Our job is to grow a team, recruit new members, bring people together and grow local support at all levels please.

8. Any other business

9. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting: Ideally a Saturday in October.

Please note: ERTA Central Officers can collaboratively foster willing hosts for meetings and as a result bring people together. Please encourage any interested people or organisations to email richard.erta@gmail.com to join our loop and/or see our website for joining details/fill in a flyer.

The Executive Committee cannot be responsible to do it majoritively, to work, it must come from local people. EEH Website is: https://www.englandseconomicheartland.com/

Comments:

The Pandemic left much undone as did distract, but now we are gradually getting together using zoom for some audiences and physical meetings for others. We do not wish to disenfranchise those not familiar with modern technology, and we aim to value contributions made by all who can contribute in some constructive way.

I attach 2 agendas for 2 meetings. Our meetings are open to all and so all welcome. They will not be going over the same old ground of should we or wait, rather, how to and get to or get out! Development is happening, Government has declared a Climate Emergency and we need a coherent coordinated endeavour to tailor development to protect a course for a new rail route and keep options 'open' more, whilst pressure and influence to encourage all tiers of governance, councils and agencies along with business and developers to invest in seeing what this new rail link could offer and make sustainable whilst balancing public utility with land-use policy and practise. Currently it is a free-for-all and whereas Victorians saw the need for bulk people and goods to go by rail, we have laissez-faire whereby anything goes, whether it is consistent with sustainability principles or not. That must change.

We need as many people as want to help, feel able to contribute, head up and front for us in the labyrinth of interfaces such a monumental challenge informs. It can be done and has to start now. 

In the early 1990's on a sponsored cycle ride, a display at the old Winslow Station, showed a need to support re-railing the Great Central corridor then and people were dismissive saying things like "if we can't get Aylesbury/Oxford-Milton Keynes, what chance Great Central"; but now of course, Oxford/Aylesbury - MIlton Keynes is not only on the cards, but being rebuilt. It is the Great Central corridor's turn, and had a little energy been spent to protect the corridor, we would be better off today as a result. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, efforts to reopen have come and gone, but we must learn, re-start where we are at and see the new opportunity. Essential for road and rail relief but needs acumen to draw-in bigger outlets to take an interest, do the studies we are not equipped to and court government support. It can be done and I welcome any support to help us make progress. We are facilitators and idea planters, but other folks can bridge between what we do and making it a reality please.

Lincolnshire Green? Dream on!

Lincolnshire Green? Dream on!

From early times in my voluntary rail campaigning career, it has been elements within the so-called ‘rail fraternity’ and ‘rail lobby’ who take it on themselves to go around talking about what can and cannot be done, what the limitations of rail ways (past), is (present) and may be (future). They have a can’t, don’t and won’t mentality. So on closures of the 1960’s for example, it happened, so cannot reopen with even existing tracks brought back to passenger use saying things like “I remain sceptical”. Many reopenings have happened since the mid 1980’s and trickling through, albeit with noticeable gaps beit funding, political focus or will and realities on the ground, which due to neglect are diverse as a jungle! 

The closures left some parts of the country more bereft than others and glaring gaps in the network exist. These ‘Jeremiah’s’ don’t just make a case for ‘can’t’ but also ‘don’t bother’. They and indeed the construe of a monster system, demand £50k studies before consideration (£40 billion roads budget by government is informed by government and those associated with roads, which command £million to spend). They demand trackbeds be 99% clear with bridges intact, if any is built on, lost or whatever, they insist “can’t be done” end of. 

Whatever you say, whatever you, a layman does, unless you have £millions to splash or are big business wearing the trousers, they dismiss your aspiration, you want, wish, hope and actions for public transport improvement as highly subjective to put it politely. I recall in 1986 some at a meeting in Milton Keynes saying things like “you’ll get Oxford-Milton Keynes as Bedford-Bletchley closes”, now these people are saying “the future of Bedford-Bletchley is bound up with East-West Rail!”. These patterns of negativity and weights on the campaigners’ shoulders, are multiplied nationwide sadly. Yes, there are the other extremes of High Speed it ‘the be-all’, hyperloop is the way ahead or unless £billions is budgeted for main-line standards, it is not going to work, get support, see the light of day. The sad thing is, from new stations (in some cases) to reopened lines, rebuilds and select new pieces of rail connectivity, as devil is in the detail, so these negatives become self-fulfilling prophecy. No money is another excuse from Whitehall, when £100 billion HS2 and £40 billion new roads can be found, so a matter of values, priorities and things versus people, places and inclusive values in practise, not just a P.R. ‘look-good’ presentational display.

 

So, we come to East Lincolnshire. We concur with some other campaigners, that the closure of the East Lincolnshire Line was a closure too far, ditto the March-Spalding Line. On Facebook and elsewhere, long discussions and heated debate of all and sunder of why rebuild or new build is never going to happen and yet, here is the rub; Lincolnshire County Council is engaged with Bypasses, Trunk Road Upgrades and road schemes left, right and centre across the whole county, whilst saying there’s no case or possibility of support for these rail-based aspirations? 

The absence of rail, means everything must go by road. The longer rail choice is denied, the more synthetic stats make a case for more roads spiralling upwards with land-take and congestion; so we are right in my view to plug rail within our meagre resources, to conjoin with other like-minds and demand rail, for modal choice and the environments/quality of life’s sake. Could for example a new alignment west of March to somewhere near west of Spalding be considered and done? You may not get into Grimsby via the old route, now assumed by the widened A16, but could an alternative be found which gives Grimsby a new rail link going south alongside the trunk road artery, reducing traffic and giving more options for people and goods? The Werrington Duck-under at Peterborough is good, but a long way round from Ely-Spalding to get to and from Doncaster. 

Lincoln needs more capacity for better passenger services. How do we get from negative introversion to positive solutions to major problems? We need to lobby MP’s and Councils to get on board, help round-table for pooling resources and courting funding for looking at solutions to re-railing challenges and progressing. We need Government to reform the system demands and do some homework for the sake of choice, communities and giving these relatively deprived areas a rail-fixed-asset life-line, literally. Modal shift is vital to cut emissions and Government has declared a Climate Emergency, so must have its bluff called at least, to take its words seriously. It is to be hoped as some of this may sink in, what of the future, that Lincolnshire can one day proudly underscore the word ‘Green’, not as a reference just to cloth colours, but sustainable transport and communities as well please. Let that be a 21^st Century Hallmark for Rail Lincs!

Enter discussions around this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-61274952.amp What next? An extension encompassing a Louth Parkway Station? We rule nothing out.

ERTA Events until Mid October as at 09-05-2022. Enquiries welcome: T. 0208 940 4399, E. simon4barber@gmail.com

2022 Programme Update 09-05-2022

ERTA Stall at Bedford Antiques & Collectables Fair – Saturday 4 June 10am – 3:30pm

St. Paul’s Church, St. Paul’s Square, Bedford MK40 1SQ
Admission £1.50
Please visit the ERTA stall and show your support. Thank you.

Bedford Forum – Tuesday 14 June 2022 2pm food, 3-5pm business

Pilgrim’s Progress, 42 Midland Road, Bedford, Beds.MK40 1QB

https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/bedfordshire/the-pilgrims-progress-bedford 

Enquiries to: richard.erta@gmail.com 

ERTA Stall at Bedford Antiques & Collectables Fair – Saturday 2 July 10am – 3:30pm

St. Paul’s Church, St. Paul’s Square, Bedford MK40 1SQ
Admission £1.50
Please visit the ERTA stall and show your support. Thank you.

·                    We welcome offers of support, assistance and ‘light touch’ volunteering.

·                    Please make yourself known to us, join ERTA and find your niche/new calling!

 

Colin Crawford hosting a Great Central re-rail corridor Zoom Meeting on Thursday 7^th July 1pm-3pm. He will send a link and help disseminate to potentially interested people. Richard to provide an agenda as a guide.

Rugby Forum – Saturday 9 July 2pm food, 3pm -5pm business

Rupert Brooke, 8-10 Castle Street, Rugby, Warks. CV21 2TP

https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/warwickshire/rupert-brooke-rugby

London Forum – Saturday 13 August 2pm food, 3pm-pm business: Barrel Vault, Unit 23, St Pancras International Station, Pancras Road, London N1C 4QP. https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/london/the-barrel-vault-st-pancras  

ERTA Ampthill-Flitwick Forum: Saturday 10^th September 1pm food, 2pm – 4pm business. All welcome. Venue: The Swan Pub at Flitwick (opposite the rail station and local bus stops round the corner. Ample parking. https://www.swaninnflitwick.co.uk/ The Swan Pub, 1 Dunstable Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire, MK45 1HP T: 01525 754777 E: steph@theswanflitwick.co.uk

Berkhamsted Meeting – Saturday tba  October 12pm food (Wetherspoons: https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/hertfordshire/the-crown-berkhamsted ) 2-3pm AGM, 3-5pm Public Meeting at Venue https://www.stpetersberkhamsted.org.uk/heritage/court-house/ St Peters Court House, St Peter's Great Berkhamsted, Church Lane, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2AX https://www.stpetersberkhamsted.org.uk/about/courthouse/

Station Stalls and leafleting helpers wanted! 2022

Email Simon Barber for details and offers to assist: simon4barber@gmail.com – we need one a month from May (late) to October including Marylebone – what action? Bedford Midland, Milton Keynes Central, Richmond, Northampton, Rugby x anywhere else/Horsham? Sort it asap please x a programme and email in date order, time and place and ensure Colin is available for cloth.

Notes for Physical Meetings:
1. Subject to verification. Venues may change or be cancelled at short notice. Stay in touch.
2. People attend at their own risk. Everyone pays for their own food and drink.
3. There is a pre-pared agenda, please help focus on the pertinent issues.

Additional Notes:

1. Zoom Diary Zoom needed for Leicester/Great Central/Northampton-Market Harborough. Any offers to be a host please contact richard.erta@gmail.com

2. West of England Zoom Host needed inclusive of Ross-on-Wye call, Southampton-Reading-West Midlands issues and related. Didcot-Southampton is not a goer.

3. Devon and Dorset reopenings like Seaside resorts and more freight by rail including Falmouth Deep Sea Dock expansion potential and branch upgrade to boot?

These Zoom facilitations could be done one May, June and July for example.

4. We need new volunteers for St Paul’s lunch relief especially, marketing assistance, clerical support for the Chairman and reliable leafleteers to inform a team. These are top needs-must and then Local Government Liaison Office to help do consultations, advocate reopenings and both trackbed watch and make the case for route and realignment provision. See our reopenings pamphlet for top focuses. Work with EC and current key routes we are most concerned about like Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham and Polegate-Stone Cross avoiding line.

Main contact and convenor: Mr Simon Barber, 20 Fitzherbert House, Kingsmead, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6HT T. 0208 940 4399, E. simon4barber@gmail.com

Just a reminder that ERTA will be having a stall at St Paul's Antiques and Collectors Fair in Central Bedford. Please come and bring friends and family. It is £1.50 to get in, lots to see, plenty to talk about and engage with. Please bring your cash as well to buy things! 

E. richard.erta@gmail.com for ERTA Stall enquiries.