ERTA Events for Winter-Spring 2023 - all welcome

29-12-2022
ERTA Rugby Transport Forum: Saturday 21^st January 2023 1pm food, 2pm business at Rupert Brooke Wetherspoons 01788 576759 8–10 Castle Street, Rugby, Warwickshire
CV21 2TP https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/warwickshire/rupert-brooke-rugby Convenor/contact: Mr Simon Barber: T. 0208 940 4399 E. simon4barber@gmail.com
 
Agenda
 
1.     Appointment of a chair for the meeting
2.     Apologies for absence
3.     North of Rugby (Rugby-Magna Park-Lutterworth-Narborough area physical rail linkages)
4.     South of Rugby (Rugby Central Parkway – East-West Rail and Aylesbury for wider linkage to Bicester, Oxford, Bristol, Southampton and all in between, beyond as well as London Old Oak Common/OOC. This via the areas of Willoughby, Woodford Halse area, Brackley East Parkway). Nothing is easy or straight forward. But this is a new 21^st Century railway for the carriage of people and goods, more capacity, modal shift from road to rail and catering for sustainability more amidst spiralling growth and a lack of rail-based infrastructure.
5.     How to get from south of Rugby to Rugby WCML/Northampton Loop and beyond via DIRFT to Lutterworth and associated aforementioned linkages? It needs a study. Indeed, every aspect needs a study to look and identify options from construction/reconstruction, engineering, costs and environmental impact
6.     Seeking backers, sponsors, business interest and political support from councils, agencies and government.
7.     Association needs: This needs to focus on a. upping our presence in Rugby, b. getting and growing a team of support, c. leafleting and marketing, d. rails from Rugby Central south and rails from Rugby WCML to Magna Park, Lutterworth area and linkages to Narborough area existing rails. It needs backers, sponsors and professionals to take the ideas and make progress with them towards delivery. It needs buy-in from councils and public as well as MP’s. How we get there/preliminary strategies. ERTA is not equipped to do studies (they start at upwards of £50k), but we do plant ideas and seek to identify gaps and potential as yet unserved markets by rail to consider and pursue hopefully. Traffic and emissions reduction must be a main consideration in all our endeavours.
8.     Growing support in the Rugby area. Ideas of how best to do that on a very meagre budget. Leafleting is one option, but so far has not roused people to join ERTA.
9.     Any Other Business
10.  Day, Date, Time and Place of next meeting: Suggest first Saturday of whenever, probably November. However, sister meeting at Leicester and Market Harborough, all welcome.
a.      Leicester Forum: Saturday 25^th February. The High Cross Wetherspoons 1pm food, 2pm business 0116 251 9218 103–105 High Street, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE1 4JB https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/leicestershire/the-high-cross-leicester
b.     Market Harborough Public Meeting: Saturday 11^th March from 2pm
Details: To discuss Northampton-Market Harborough (MH) rail link being restored and accentuated others including stations, Rugby-Leicester, Magna Park and Lutterworth.
Market Harborough Methodist Church/Hall, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, LE16 9HE www.harboroughmethodistcircuit.org.uk  Opposite the Market Hall.
ERTA personnel will meet at the local Wetherspoons from 12 Noon. The venue is only a 5-minute walk from the Wetherspoon Pub. The Sugar Loaf: https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/leicestershire/the-sugar-loaf-market-harborough 01858 469231 18 High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7NJ
Local contact Cllr Peter James: peter341@btinternet.com
ERTA Contact: Mr Simon Barber, 20 Fitzherbert House, Kingsmead, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6HT T. 0208 940 4399 E. simon4barber@gmail.com
 

Note: ERTA has many other calls and we wish to grow a team to delegate these projects to take forward and court support. In short, if you want more, be prepared to be part of that and making it happen. Local people participation and local knowledge is indispensable.
Any volunteers, beit professional, elected or lay people, 

please let Richard Pill know: richard.erta@gmail.com or to talk: 01234 330090

For your diaries:

Any offers to help with donations, volunteering or helping with delivery of flyers in the Ampthill area, would be gratefully received. Please contact Mr Richard Pill, ERTA Bedfordshire Area Rep. via richard.erta@gmail.com and join our email loop or tel. 01234 330090. Media interest always welcome to entertain as is pro-supportive coverage!

Leicester Forum

The High Cross, Leicester

Saturday 25th February 1pm food, 2-4pm business Leicester agenda and getting it underway.

The High Cross, 0116 251 9218 103–105 High Street, Leicester Leicestershire, LE1 4JB  https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/leicestershire/the-high-cross-leicester

As people get their new diaries, I attach our forth-coming programme of events* with which you and contacts are warmly welcome to attend and encourage others as well. 

We are pushing ahead with our grassroots style of campaigning which seeks to inform the public and via recruitment encourage membership and activism to take on campaigns and admin roles beit desktop or out and about and make the case or plant ideas of potential for professionals to adopt and invest in.

At upwards of £50k, we lack the resources to fund formal studies, but are open to collaborate and work with any who are interested in doing so. Our team has a desire to bring appropriate people together and they in-turn to take projects forward and work upwards towards delivery. Delivery is the only way modal choice can be informed and emissions reduced on the back of it.

Buses have been cut, rail suffers breakdowns and strike actions and we very much feel the pinch of the government not seeking to fix these dilemmas meaningfully. Some new money may be required, some compromise on 'modernisation' likewise. One idea is to give a under 65's concessionary bus and rail pass to all on or under £20, 000 p.a. with upwards being able to buy one. That could inform more footfall to public transport, which would boost patronage and usage terms and get people out of car dependency, which is left, right and centre a multiple faceted cost from tax, insurance, fuel and wear and tear/maintenance for example. More freight by rail of all sizes cannot happen without tracks back and accessibility with a more robust network made apparent. Key question is is anyone planning for such a modal shift meaningfully any time soon? COP27 showed where things are heading, there's a human cost to not doing much or merely tinkering at the edges whilst assuming business as usual.

ERTA will try and bring people together where we may and play our part to move things on appropriately.

News and Notes:

Generally: Venues may change or be cancelled at short notice. Stay in touch.

1.            People attend at their own risk. Everyone pays for their own food and drink.

2.            There is a pre-pared agenda, please help focus on the pertinent issues.

3.            Zoom Meetings: we need a Zoom Host Volunteer reliable and capable to host zoom meetings for external growth purposes. Things like reopenings, freight on rail and much else, especially for far flung or immobile people for whatever reason. All offers welcome.

4.            Join us on Twitter @ERTACampaigns and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardPillERTA

5.            We welcome our new Leicestershire Area Rep: Mr Kuljit Maan: https://ertarail.co.uk/contact/

6.            ERTA is growing its team and welcomes support in terms of membership, donations and business/council interest to adopt ideas as policy, study, round-table further and get government moving towards funding and delivery. We need the rail links to cut road traffic blight, emissions, noise, pollution and impacts. Rail reopenings have often exceeded expectations and deliver footfall and spend minus congestion.

7.            Other news: we have made contact with Center Parcs in Central Beds and committed to a roughly quarterly meeting of the ERTA Ampthill-Flitwick Transport Forum in pursuit of a new Ampthill Parkway Station. All welcome and to offer to assist whether local or not. Contact richard.erta@gmail.com with offers. Please feel free to forward and invite other potentially interested people. Thank you.

8.          

Our volunteers and other pages on our website:

https://ertarail.co.uk/get-involved-volunteering/ are progressively being updated. Please have a perusal and give us feedback. We need to grow a steady team of volunteers to enable us to do more and better. Please consider what you can contribute, even a donation, all helps. Any enquiries via richard.erta@gmail.com and join our email loop for updates. Thank you.

Contact and convenor: Mr Simon Barber, 20 Fitzherbert House, Kingsmead, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6HT T. 0208 940 4399 E. simon4barber@gmail.com * For all other meetings and details, please email richard.erta@gmail.com and join our loop.

Consultation – Draft Parking Standards for New Developments Supplementary Planning Document - 071122 SC - keep Ampthill Parkway Station 'alive'!

Consultation – Draft Parking Standards for New Developments Supplementary Planning Document - 071122 SC

Good afternoon,

 

We are writing to inform you that an eight-week consultation on the Parking Standards for New Developments Supplementary Planning Document will begin at 10am on Tuesday 8^th November 2022, with the deadline for comments being 10am on Thursday 5^th January 2023.

 

Background

A well planned and managed approach to parking can help make our local communities better places to live, work and visit whilst helping deliver our commitment to tackling climate change. One of the ways in which we can make a positive difference is through effective parking provision for all vehicle types in new developments. We want to encourage more walking and cycling for shorter journeys, and for longer journeys encourage more sustainable options such as using public transport. Ensuring that routes are attractive and useable for pedestrians and cyclists is key to achieving this.  Providing sufficient parking for all types of vehicles so that parked vehicles do not dominate the street scene or prevent access for pedestrians and cyclists is therefore very important.

 

Parking Standards for New Developments is a new Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which builds upon the parking related policies adopted in the Local Plan. The document covers cycle parking, car parking, disabled parking, powered two-wheeler parking and operational parking requirements. It sets out the number of parking spaces required for new developments in both residential and commercial settings. The document brings together several existing standards into one document. Detail is provided on the types of parking that the Council wants developers to provide and the types of parking that have proven to be less successful and will therefore not be accepted.

 

Details of the Consultation

An electronic copy of the draft document and details of how to respond to the consultation will be available to view on the Consultations page of our website, once the consultation begins on the 8^th November at 10am.

 

Alternatively, a printed copy of the draft document can be viewed at every library in Central Bedfordshire, during their usual opening hours. Written responses can be sent to:

 

Strategic Transport, C/O Strategic Growth

Central Bedfordshire Council

Priory House, Monks Walk

Chicksands, Shefford

Bedfordshire, SG17 5TQ

 

Kind regards,

 

Strategic Transport Team

 

Central Bedfordshire Council, Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands , Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5TQ

Direct Dial 0300 300 8860 -  Internal 78860 – Email – Strategic.Transport@centralBedfordshire.gov.uk

 

Please engage and wade in and support us where you feel you may: 

Dear Colleagues,

 

ERTA main interest is regarding protection of lands and an incremental progression to fostering a new Railway Station alias Ampthill Parkway Station. This would help mop up traffic and parking issues emanating from developments across a wider geographic area upwards of 70, 000 population plus the feed off the M1 via A507 to Flitwick. The configuration of roads at Flitwick with a triple stack car park does not lend to easy road spill proliferation and congestion, hazards and delays are likely amidst the chaos of turning out and commuting growth to. Wixams will deal with populations imminent and north of including parts of North Bedfordshire via bypasses, so all at and south of Wixams including the extensive Marston Vale, in bids to get rail to London will commute south - landing at Flitwick. Ampthill could share the load and more evenly distribute the growth in the Central Beds area as well as regenerate and inform sustainable footfall, spend and cycling/walking options in and around Ampthill as a place in its own right. Not all have or want to be tied to cars and parking with no spare land is an acute issue only to be exacerbated in coming years. Elsewhere, reviewing parking at local stations on Marston Vale, East Bedfordshire is also worth bearing in mind and avoiding parking on verges west of Arlesey Station should be avoided. Developing is sprawling fast and so we need a commitment to protect lands and work with us to nurture the ground-level conditions for an Ampthill Parkway Station. In leisure terms, the scope is Wrest Park to the East and Woburn to the West and all in between. Better cycle provision for central Flitwick to/from central Ampthill should be looked at. Our ERTA Ampthill-Flitwick Transport Forum is open to all to discuss these things - see our website for details: https://ertarail.co.uk/events/ We do need a greater appreciation of these things in general, not just specific development related. Unless we protect lands west of the Midland Main Line and adopt policies to negotiate relocation packages to the east of Midland Main Line north of Froghall Road, east of Fordfield Road and West of A507 - keeping accesses 'open', we throw away any Flitwick relief, growth absorption and compound issues, not ameliorate them. Thank you.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Richard Pill

ERTA Chairman

COP27 demands we need modal shift facilitated by redirecting existing funds

Our member, Mr Simon Barber has written to England's Economic Heartlands/EEH with some ideas of what taking COP27/modal shift from road to rail to help meet emissions reduction targets by the date for irreversible change of 2030, not pie-in-the-sky 2050. That gap is not lost on us, but we need professionals and organisations with Government support and permission, to start evaluating the potential contributions local rail-based schemes and connectivity could offer and inform more by rail. The M1 is about 50% juggernaut lorries, likewise A14, so that did not come about overnight by accident, the local rail closures happened, the investment in roads went in and the market used what was available as more of the same informed costs coming down. Now we have a good reason to switch back to rail, the tracks no longer exist, so new ones need nurturing. It is not about panaceas, but a line-side plan for every initiative and other regions need to be drawing up similarly their own plans like South West, South East, East Anglia, North West, North East and the West and East Midlands, Wales and Scotland. Government has a pivotal role, but it needs to make the conditions of 'can do' apparent and for that, at no extra cost, it has absolutely no excuse, it has been heading in the wrong direction and knowingly so. How to turn the 'ship' around? 

re: https://www.englandseconomicheartland.com/ 

The English Regional Transport Association (ERTA) is a voluntary membership-based, pro-public transport improvement association with its main projects initially in Bedfordshire and surrounding regional areas but its remit has since increased since several of its projects have a nation-wide positive benefit and impact.

ERTA Website: https://www.ertarail.co.uk

One of the reasons that I am contacting your organisation is that you are involved with building and serving public-private business community networks, including the launch of Runways UK (with the UK Airports Commission), Tomorrows Rail and finally Highways UK. Apparently you are now also hosting the Conference for England's Economic Heartlands, which is one of the several Strategic Transport Bodies.

As regards England's Economic Heartlands are concerned, the ERTA calls for better rail links which are as follows:

East-West Rail Link - the Central Section must be completed before 2030 at the latest, ideally even earlier.

Great Central (Calvert-Brackley-Rugby-Lutterworth-link existing Nuneaton-Leicester line at Narborough)

Northampton-Market Harborough

Bedford-Northampton (particularly Brackmills which is an industrial estate in Northampton)

Luffenham Curve (linking Midland Main Line eastward with Leicester-Peterborough line)

Northampton - Wellingborough

Banbury-Northampton (Northern Arc) needs to link with the Great Central somewhere in the Woodford Halse area.

Midland Main Line electrification(already in delivery)should be extended beyond Market Harborough to Leicester/Nottingham/Derby/Sheffield

The Southern Arc should involve the re-opening of both the disused St.Albans Abbey - Hatfield and Watford - Croxley lines.

Transport Orientated Development - both the Mass Transit systems for Milton Keynes and Cambridge are top priorities. As regards Milton Keynes,its Council's Mobility Strategy Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2018-2036 had proposed a Light Rail Transit. In addition the old Wolverton - Newport Pagnell railway should be reopened and much of the original track-bed survives. As regards Cambridge,the Mass Transit system should be a Metro which should not go underground since this could bring more cars onto Cambridge's roads, many of which are not designed to modern standards.

I would also like to add that the delivery of the rail components must be made at the earliest opportunity to meet Climate Change targets.

Finally, I do not support the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway since it will bring no benefit at all to the England's Economic Heartlands. This new road will affect Green Belt areas,and will also be an incentive to build new housing and will not solve traffic congestion at all,and in fact,the road will bring in more traffic which is already increasing with the significant housing growth between these two towns.This increase in traffic will in turn increase CO2 emissions and also air pollution(a serious health emergency),both of which the Government is pitifully

I would have liked to have gone to the Conference this coming Wednesday but sadly this date clashes with the ERTA's Executive Committee meeting which is now being held every two months.

For comments, interest and offers to help, please contact Mr Simon Barber: Mr Simon Barber, 20 Fitzherbert House, Kingsmead, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6HT

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

Send also to: English Regional Transport Association (ERTA) Department for Transport HM Treasury Rishi Sunak Jeremy Hunt

This is what we could expect if we top-slice the £27 billion new roads budget and pep up the mere £500 million Rail Reopenings Budget to parity or tip in favour of rail for modal shift.

The date 2030 is relevant, 2050 is too far away for delivery and you work it back from there. No movement, no money, no concessions using existing funds, not new ones, shows intransigence and a failure to grasp what modal shift demands. This is the problem and needs addressing.

Handing out under 65's bus passes, would give people more options to car dependency, cut congestion and inform more bus usership, making the case to retain routes. We have the frameworks, we are ideologically stalling from putting them to productive use and that is where a sea-change is required. How do we get there? ERTA plants ideas, we need champions to progress towards delivery.

ERTA Northern News 23-10-2022

Mr Chris Hyomes has kindly forwarded these pdf articles on what is happening in our Northern England areas. Others will be in future newsletters, which are filling fast. 

All enquiries via our Northern Area Rep: Mr Chris Hyomes, 10 Tythe Barn Road, Knottingley, West Yorkshire, WF11 9BU, E. chris.hyomes@hotmail.co.uk T. 07971766207

Please feel free to visit our Northern Facebook Page: 

https://www.facebook.com/ERTAnorthernraillinks and offer support, joining ERTA is an excellent way to vote with feet and wallets! We support these and other local rail solutions to increase modal shift from road to rail. If you wish to help us, please do and be willing to assist, be reliable and proportionate to what you can realistically offer please. 

The next ERTA Newsletter will be out 2nd November. Thank you.

BTW, if anyone likes an excuse to visit the Northern Area and take some 'today' photos of the remaining route and features/landscape with word doc captions for us to use in a mini report we are doing on Woodhead, please do deliver freely to richard.erta@gmail.com It has loads of text, but a few photos would help beef it up! Sooner we get them, quicker we can send the report out in the New Year. If wanted, you will be acknowledged and thanked for your contribution. Suggestions welcome as per any review of the report or appendix additions to bolt-on if you wish to have that submissions considered. I retain the right as editor whether to include, but with your permission, may put some on Blogspot or Facebook for digest by wider audiences as well.

Although I started my campaigning career with a threatened railway (Bedford-Bletchley) and got into restoring bits of it (East-West Rail), I have grown to consider that we need a nationwide plan for all sorts of different reasons to both get Britain moving and cut emissions at one and the same time. Rail is the answer to a chunk of transport and logistics needs and we do need more of the 'right type of railway' people and businesses can easily access and afford to engage with. Far from that currently, shambles is the word in some cases, yea many cases, but campaigning arms are essential to both highlight but also come up with solutions, ideas and suggestions to make things better. That may even include renationalisation but having more say to power of what and how we want our railways. 

Privatisation is argued to have been conceptually botched originally and has been a half-way house ever since. Profits going out of transport to shareholders and others, contrasted with spiralling prices, aggro in industrial relations and still Government finding £40 billion new roads and a mere £500 million for Rail Reopenings. HS2 is a different project and kind of railway and so, whether £100 billion or not, whatever the laudations or disbenefits, not ERTA's focus or endeavour, rather local rail links for local people and goods by rail is our focus. Some in ERTA love HS2, others have reservations as per Brexit! So our stance is neutral as an association. Suffice to say, if we had Woodhead reopened, would we really need HS3?

Any new administration of whatever colour, will need ready answers and give leadership and direction. One answer is not to find new money, but follow the environmental call for a more sustainable platform for transport and tweak money allocated to new roads to reopening local railways instead. That cuts emissions, that saves land, that is good for efficiency potentially. It would be a win, win as per the success blazed in Scotland and Wales, whereby the majority of rail reopenings have exceeded expectations in social, economic and environmental gains terms. It is time for England to catch up! For futher details email richard.erta@gmail.com - pdf articles et al and to join our email news loop.

ERTA East-West Rail Update December 2022 - updated as and when!

21-12-2022 Another diagram showing what we need to do for our rail link choice to be done, contrast nil specification on East-West Rail's Northern Route E. We want them worked up, compared and contrasted and then a local referendum to let the people decide once and for all and then all parties including ORR to work constructively at 'can do' solutions, not rote prohibitions. I know this is the season of Good Will. Some principles are common, so getting common principles right, could result in a load of appliations. It is ERTA's view that we need a nationwide plan of action to reinstate select former railways and select new builds to make the rail network more robust, more engaging and relevant for more people and goods to be sent by rail. That saves land, that reduces emissions, is good for environmental and public health and gets things done in a more sustainable fashion. Currently as a nation we are heading the wrong way from a Climate Emergency perspective. 2030 is cut off date for going beyond the bar of global climate change being irreversible. Much of Government is planning on a 2050 date, whilst greenwashing serious climate change denial, deep rooted, deeply embedded in quasi belief systems, which, if we read our Bibles carefully, does not counsel sitting back and being passive, but being alert and doing what we may for good stewardship of planet, resources, sharing and ensuring everyone has the basics for life and everything treated humanely. It is ERTA's view that local to global, so comes down to what we do in our own backyards. Will you be a part of the answer? This is your chance! 

18-12-2022 Updated and more detailed diagram!

Here is, following feedback, our submission for our ERTA preferred route option for rails east of Bedford via St John's area. Not the final word, but more detail than East-West Rail have given on their Northern Route E, which apart from a line on a map, has given us no technical breakdown detail whatsoever. Really, both route options should be worked up to a full specification with a local referendum to decide once and for all and start building it to challenge growing traffic on widening roads along the Oxbridge corridor principally via A428 and A421 for example. Rail is essential going forward and in Climate Emergency lineages, time is not on our side to get these rail-based modal choices sorted and cut emissions and associated 'bads' on the back whilst keeping the wheels turning more sustainably! We welcome support, we are not nIMBY's, we are constructively seeking to engage via our limited resources - human, skill and financial. Steep gradients and long, heavy freight does not go well, our route is on flat land and half of which was formerly the direct Bedford-Cambridge rail corridor. ORR and Government needs to adopt a more flexible and versatile approach to rail. Level Crossings aren't popular, but often is road tresspass rather than poor maintenace, likewise bridges get bashed and are not panaceas. There needs to be room for negotiation, pragmatism and keeping costs down.

01-11-2022

I make no apology for a lion's share of an article I wrote end of August/beginning of September. Since then of course we've had 2 more Secretary of State for Transport and that latest one RT Hon Mark Harper MP remains unknown. An accountant with Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor and Rishi Sunak as PM, money, money, money seems to be their whole world and obsession. Pragmatically money matters, but if we value life at all and things beyond the mundane, then there's more to life than mere money and other values like people, communities, the environment and quality of life issues should also matter. We've gone down a path where commodification of life and privatisation for profit, still wants us to believe it offers the best prospect for value for money and service ethos with a smile. The jury is out surely. For my money, I can see some things the private sector can do admirably, others the public sector and to mix and match the two, can come unstuck.

On East-West Rail the Mayor extolls the benefits, but then insists on Northern Route E, i.e. north of Bedford. Doesn't want houses knocked down, so cramming passenger and freight extras to the existing slow lines is being insisted on as 'do able'. Our route, east of Bedford via St John's is put before these audiences and we would welcome them to pick up the phone, liaise and work at finding solutions to problems, demand it is worked up and the two route options put before the public maybe in a local referendum. It is such a crucial matter, worth getting it right. Northern Route E will have such steep gradients and demand things like pylons are relocated, our route, whilst not without challenges, is where campaigning can prove itself, not us, but bigger fry like councils, consortiums and companies working together, having appreciated the benefits  our route offers: a. flatter, b. less distance, c. probably cheaper, d. yet to identify any houses to be demolished with it and e. links East Bedfordshire with the County Town and vice versa, having recently lost the No. 73 Biggleswade-Sandy Bus link after 100 years (formerly the 176). Likewise, and note this, Route E does not offer any east-north interfacing for freight to/from the Midland Main Line North, nor do any other north-south lines being Bletchley, Bicester and Oxford. Our route does offer that as well as allowing east-west freight to bypass the busy Bedford Midland Interchange. Bedford-Northampton bus is cut back to mainly terminating at Turvey, disenfranchising Olney and onwards to Northampton. So for end-to-end commuting between these big towns, apart from the need to bypass Olney (rail), studies prior showed it would do end-to-end in 35 minutes as a Thameslink sort of operation and crucially with rails from the east via our route, takes freight to Northampton for depots and onwards to West Coast Main Line. That in turn frees up routes into, across and out of London and indeed capacity at Peterborough for example. Northern Route E makes no provision for this and is a load of cost for a straightjacket return.

Foundationally, the Government needs to switch from new roads to local rail solutions in budgetary terms. It needs to have a nationwide plan and get on with it now year-on-year. Instead of sitting on the fence to put it politely, favouring new roads is even more accurate as a description, which sends all the wrong signals.

ERTA will continue to try and get its message across, but as ever from education to proof of the pudding in the eating, delivery is still the only goal which informs more modal shift from road to rail. Thank you. Our newsletter is now out and anyone wanting a free pdf copy can send email requests to richard.erta@gmail.com

At last there seems a groundswell of movement to actually taking a consultation around rail links east of Bedford to the places affected: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-63216578?at_custom1=link&at_campaign=64&at_custom3=Regional+BBC+South&at_custom4=FA600CCE-4AC7-11ED-AE3A-91F3923C408C&at_medium=custom7&at_custom2=twitter 

But what ERTA would like, is for our route options on east of Bedford to be worked up and the two options set before the public once and for all so that post Public Inquiry, we can get on with a rail alternative that adds up and is cost effective, not steep gradients, but on flat former rail alignment (for part). Problems to be overcome and worked on, finding innovative solutions like Cardington Road, Priory Level Crossing and much more, not straightjacketed rigmarole based on flimsy evidence it is a lack of maintenance that endangers level crossing usage, but public need for an education programme. It needs a more pragmatic approach of what fits a given scenario and landscape. Why should a local rail solution be held back by a dogmatic insistence that bridges and tunnels or bust for rail? 

There's always more, email if you wish to discuss. May I clarify we do not want to reopen the old St John's Station as one of my colleagues mistakenly said, but use the land for putting the railway back for a triangle and a railway east of Bedford.

Our appeal to Cllr Headley, Mayor Dave Hodgson, East West Rail Company and other promoting outlets and partnerships to talk with ERTA more. Big business is backing the IDEA of a rail link, but what we need is a comparative analysis of fine detai and get the process of formal consultation, Public Inquiry and outcome to be sorted by the end of 2023. Doing projects like this for decades - 35 years I've been involved and counting! - rather than say a 5 year or bust cut off deadline, means the potential to drag on. Now, if ever, we do not have that luxury. Development is happening and critical lands are being compromised. Unless we sort this sorry tale out asap, access and lands to link with the East Coast Main Line (ECML) in and around the Tempsford area, will be lost. That is like a business doing fish and chips saying "sorry we only do fish!" Optimal links for optimal use makes more business sense and public benefit by better and more sustainable transport options? So options need to be kept open.

Meanwhile, getting the government to say 'yes' to the proposed rail bypass at Ely to enable more freight by rail, would be a winner and should be supported by all. Thus, it is our view that were Ely to have a direct link to the south off Ipswich and Norwich lines, and link to our proposed route for East-West at the ECML Tempsford area, which is code for 'south of St Neots, north of Sandy'; then Cambridge would only be for passenger use mainly. Again, both options should be worked up and put before the public. There will always be NIMBY objection whatever route/s are put before the public, always some interest or not; but for my view, speed is not everything, any railway will beat the unadulterated traffic congestion on east-west roads and junctions, so even at a minimum of 25 mph, you will get to Cambridge as a nodal point of regional reference and links to other lines, quicker than road. Dualling the A428 Black Cat Roundabout - Caxton, still leaves the fact urban roads are gridlocked now, more traffic for more volume capacity facilitation, will result in compounding a bad situation, not making it better.

https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/building-new-roads-just-creates-more-traffic-heres-the-proof/#:~:text=It's%20called%20'induced%20traffic'%2C%20and%20it's%20a%20real%20problem&text=Most%20recently%2C%20research%20on%20British,doubling%20traffic%20within%2020%20years. 

Politicians love the photo opportunity to cut ribbons. But we need to be more selective. What really matters? If we save that piece of land for conservation, but ignore masses of lands where hedgerows are cut to minimum, where topsoil erosion for want of trees and other foliage is rife and where birds have nothing to eat because production and chemical spraying takes precedent, are we really being 'green' or green-washing?

Reopen a new Northampton-Market Harborough Rail link and stations to benefit all!

10-11-2022 

Notice of Public Meeting subject to conditions of rail travel:

Details: To discuss Northampton-Market Harborough (MH) rail link being restored and accentuated others including stations, Rugby-Leicester, Magna Park and Lutterworth.

Local contact Cllr Peter James: peter341@btinternet.com

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

ERTA Guildford Area Transport Forum ~ Committed to seeking a reopened local Guildford-Horsham rail link. ~

17-11-2022

17 November 2022

 

Press Release

 

ERTA Welcomes Government announcement on reopening Bristol-Portishead local rail link solution

 

ERTA welcomes the announcement for reopening the Bristol-Portishead local rail link solution and wishes it every success. It has been long advocated and campaigned for and yet is but one of many likewise awaiting support across the country as a whole.

 

ERTA calls on the government to top-slice the allocated £27 billion new roads budget and pep up or tilt the Rail Reopenings Fund which is pitted at a mere £500 million. If the switch was enacted by the government, many more local rail schemes could be advanced and rolled out offering better public transport, congestion reduction through choice, more freight off roads and back on the rails as well as reductions to emissions, pollution and land take which new roads inform.

 

“There should be a nationwide switch and plan to ensure every region gets similar schemes. Colne-Skipton and Woodhead in the north and Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham in the south-east and elsewhere.”

 

End of Press Release

 

Further Comment: Mr Richard Pill, ERTA Media Spokesperson:

T. 01234 330090 E. richard.erta@gmail.com

Ref: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-63633295

01 November 2022

Press Release

ERTA Calls for support to reopen the local rail link between Guildford and Surrey and grasp other connectives as well.

About 7 people attended the recently held Guildford Transport Forum in Guildford and ERTA wants to consolidate support for progressing the local rail reopening between Guildford and Horsham. Lots of controversial development is happening beit new build, bypasses and the result is more road traffic. Dunsfold is another expanding area. ERTA calls on local councils to support the idea in policy terms, to protect the route from any further obstruction and round-table with neighbouring councils, agencies and Government to pool resources. We call on them to study the reopening idea with a view to progressing it to become government policy. Courting support and investment would bring benefits of footfall and spend to places like Guildford, a bigger share of visitorship, lower congestion rates. There is a need to be careful on regenerating and developing around Guildford rail station as spare land is needed for more by rail capacity. Rebuilding to Cranleigh and onwards to Horsham would enable trains to run-on to somewhere else than idle in existing through rails blocking other services. If the North Downs Line was made third rail, it would enable Guildford to be part of the Thameslink Network with a semi fast service from East Croydon in addition to existing services. The proposed Southern Heathrow rail link should be supported but extended to Old Oak Common Interchange and link on to the Chiltern Main Line. These give more options to ‘not via London and change’ for everything.

 

End of press release

 

Further comment: Mr Richard Pill 01234 330090 or richard.erta@gmail.com https://heathrowrail.com/

ERTA Guildford Area Transport Forum

~ Committed to seeking a reopened local Guildford-Horsham rail link. ~

Agenda for ERTA Guildford Area Forum: Saturday 29th October at The Rodboro 01483 306366 1–10 Bridge Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4RY https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/surrey/the-rodboro-buildings-guildford Food* 1pm, Business 2-4pm (approximately). All Welcome. For numbers, please let Simon Barber know in advance. *Everyone is expected to pay for their own food and drink!
1.     Apologies for absence
2.     Introductions going round the table and fill in attendance list.
3.     Guildford-Horsham Rail Link: update, issues, goals setting and determine to push it pro-affirmatively through including a direct new link off North Downs Line for direct running south of East Croydon to Cranleigh and Horsham for example.
4.     North Downs Link, in a sea of third rail, surely the easiest option and enable Thameslink direct semi-fast running to Guildford and maybe on to Reading, saving changing at Redhill + new footfall and flow from visitorship off the Thameslink Network.
5.     Guildford Station and adjacent plans, land and capacity issues – plenty or not and what role could run additionally to Horsham enable?
6.     Membership, recruitment and volunteers willing to help on the projects? Rail must come first as it deals with bulk and actually helps remove congestion, pollution and emissions over all.
7.     Woking-Heathrow-Old Oak Common/tunnel to link with Chiltern Main Line and associated.
8.     Any Other Business
9.     Day Date Time and Place of next Meeting – say quarterly, same venue unless invited by others elsewhere within walk/taxi of a well-served railway station relevant to our goals.
·                     Horsham Public Meeting likely to be late April subject to funds and do-ability. Set dates today! Court sponsors and a speaker relevant to what we are seeking to nurture.
·                     Councils needed to help work up the merits, study the case and protect lands for reopening.

Meeting convenor and general information: 

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

Typical Thameslink Train these days!