Rail Links East of Bedford, UK

The British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) has often stated we want 'east of Bedford via the St John's area' and for good reasons. 1 It declutters an already busy Midland Railway Station area and 2. enables more by rail, which cuts overall gridlock congestion more.

We are for an east-west railway and indeed, in more than one location. Majority of rail groups apparently, want the Northern Route E option. Indeed, some at Willington object to our route because they live there and say our route has been "rejected many times" when in 2019 consultation was not even included in the options put before the public! Level crossings are cited, when lobbying the Office for Road and Rail (ORR) and other tiers of government and agencies can actually solicit special dispensations in circumstances where alternatives like at Priory Park entrance would be unworkable due to the New Cut River stream for example.

It is our view, that if East-West Rail goes north of Bedford, then an additional two tracks with demolition of houses would have to be done, as modal shift to rail means more rails and trains to service it. We are concerned at steep gradients via the northern route, especially if freight is involved. However, we are being bullied and isolated by other rail groups as their take is they know better and majority rules the roost!

If objectors to Northern Route East-West Rail were to join BRTA, come to our forums and help us promote our alternative route, which has much to commend it and was supported by Richard Fuller MP when he was MP for Bedford, with Network Rail and Railfuture, then the matter would just need the Council to support it along with any MP or candidates across the political spectrum. Alas, the devil is in the detail and if East-West Rail Company said they needed 6-tracks north of Bedford, our politicians need to accept that and either accept that route or reject it putting our call in its place. Fence sitting and much ado, means no rail link resolution, dithering and compounding congestion, air pollution and gridlocked future as development happens and all goes by road across the regions the railway would serve.

Enquiries via richard.erta@gmail.com

Essential Reading to be equipped for deficit infrastructure agendas

re: https://nic.org.uk/studies-reports/infrastructure-progress-review-2024/

This report shows a shortfall in transport infrastructure spending and we should take note that across the board infrastructure is coming up the agenda of what is fundamental to civilised existence (water for example) but environmentally, land use wise and that of cutting emissions, it is more and better rail infrastructure where the deficit is felt. Modal shift in many cases cannot happen without reopening programmes of real local lines and associated infrastructure projects to enable small to large modal shift transfer of freight and people travel patterns from road to rail. 

In Bedford, it is East-West Rail which dominates, but is sluggish in progress regarding accessing Bedford and notions of rails to the East which needs proper leadership with a discernment and based on sound local knowledge.

BRTA has said what it feels is best, we have offered to look at maps of Bedford Midland layout and discuss what could be rearranged to enable a twin bay additional infrastructure for Oxford-Cambridge passenger operations and two twin track access to existing Midland Main Line slows for freight. Ford End Road Bridge may be listed, but is a problem for enabling optimum rail redesign and 8 coach platforms for example. In our view, the station booking hall should go back to the old station site, looking down Midland Road towards the town centre, not an urban Parkway design, in the middle facing a housing estate! Likewise, we want attention for Stations North of Bedford, and a way forward may be to direct Thameslink trains to serve Corby and focus EMR trains on a seamless Bedford-Leicester electric fast and slow service, windowing reopening of local stations and a shuttle to link into principal main line stations feeding to and from accordingly. Should one have 2-3 changes to get to Sheffield or Leeds from the Midland Main Line? We don't think that is optimising infrastructure!

So, we keep on, and lack of like the Northampton-Market Harborough deficit, should be being led on by paid, professional agencies and lead organisations from councils to government, with public input on how it may work, not NIMBYISM verus dire need. The stalemate cannot go on. So, head-in-sand is to reject local rail solutions like East-West Rail, but it has been handled badly, too remotely and East of Bedford via St John's should be the prescription with councils and leaders all on board. Get to link with ECML at Tempsford area first, then yes, the new ECML-Cambridge alignment, due to extensive blockages of the old varsity route from Sandy to Trumpington, is the way it has to be. The roads are being dualled, development is happening, so prudence calls for rail alternatives surely? That is where, of whatever shade, a new government will need to make a priority now, not 10 years time!

Please join BRTA and donate time and money to enable us to play a fuller role in these debates and movements for re-railing Britain.

Finally, the BRTA name has been accepted by the HSBC Bank, so make payments to that name now please. Likewise, our Corporate Membership is reduced to £50, so please affiliate/recommend us to others. We are also rolling out a Prize Draw, please make enquiries to David J. Start, our Treasurer to enter. 

https://ertarail.co.uk/become-a-member/

BRTA calls on Councils and Public to back a better Rail Deal for Northamptonshire.

 Press Release 22-04-24:

BRTA calls on Councils and Public to back a better Rail Deal for Northamptonshire.

 

The British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) notified the West Northamptonshire Local Plan is now out for feedback, comment and consultation. See: West Northamptonshire Local Plan - 2041 (Regulation 18) Consultation Draft April 2024. Page 254

 

BRTA calls on the public to support its calls for the rail agenda to be made more ‘real.’ BRTA identifies 2 rail projects that should be given far more credence:

1.     Northampton to Bedford: Studies done 20 years ago showed a good case and demand, but were not acted upon and the route compromised. There was a common agreement of route protection between the councils, but this has not been maintained. Now a new route would be needed. But in favour of the rail connectivity and boost to local town centres this rail link offers are very real.

a.      Thameslink to Northampton and Rugby and vice versa

b.     Northampton to Bedford (35 minutes), Luton, x3 airports, Eurostar and the South Coast and vice versa.

c.      More people and goods by rail, reducing volumes on roads, cutting waste, pollution and enabling greater efficiency.

d.     Direct access and integrated services with East-West Rail (East) to/from Cambridge, East Anglia and Stansted Airport.

2.     Northampton-Market Harborough

a.                       Would be a missing piece of a more comprehensive rail network linking Leicester with Northampton, Milton Keynes and Oxford and vice versa.

b.                       Would bring more freight by rail to Northampton Depot, Daventry International Rail Freight Depot (DIRFT)

c.                        Would slash Northampton-Leicester journey times from about 90 minutes to a mere 35 minutes with additional Parkway Station.

d.                       A wider green corridor could enable both a twin track modern railway and a cycle-footpath albeit weaving where pinch-points may exist.

e.                       Study (2020) found good potential, but BRTA calls for full data to be released and both councils, government, and agencies like Midland Connect and England’s Economic Heartlands (EEH) to get behind it and lead on a timely delivery of at most 10 years’ time-frame. We need this rail link now!

 

End Press Release

 

Contacts: Richard Pill BRTA CEO 01234 330090 richard.erta@gmail.com or Professor Andrew N. Williams, T: 07923489254   E: anw@doctors.org.uk

About Rail Central – Northampton’s newest rail development.

About Rail Central – Northampton’s newest rail development. (above shows new tracks).

 
Rail Central is an emerging plan for a new strategic rail freight interchange (SRFI) where the West Coast mainline meets the Northampton Loop Line to the south-west of Northampton.
It would see the creation of a UK leading logistics and distribution capability on a site between Milton Malsor and Blisworth.
The rationale for this site is driven entirely by its strategic location and direct connections to key rail and road networks – Rail Central would connect into the West Coast mainline and the Northampton Loop Line as well as into the A43 trunk route within approximately 2 miles of the M1 motorway.
In addition to supporting the national policy move for freight on rail and creating a world-class logistics and distribution facility in South Northamptonshire, Rail Central would:
·        Create circa 8,000 new jobs
·        Channel significant and long-term investment into South Northamptonshire
·        Attract businesses for which effective supply chain management is critical to competitiveness
·        Reduce overall CO2 emissions by shifting more freight from road to rail
·        Underpin Northamptonshire’s position as the UK hub for logistics and support local jobs and the county’s economy
http://railcentral.com/
 
Rail Central Consultation feedback – now logged (15 June 2018)
Alex Verbeek (Gazeley) Andrew Fisher (Ashfied Land). By Simon Barber T: 0208 940 4399  

E: simon4barber@gmail.com Ed. Rebuilding Northampton-Market Harborough rail link would complement this and Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT.

More dates for diaries and ammunition!

Some of you may find this article of interest and its source. Air pollution is damaging public health and well being and that costs the NHS as well as families of loved ones. Our rail proposals will help cut emissions and therefore are pro-life! 

Please have a read: 

https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2024/04/15/air-pollution-neurological-disorders-earth-day

Our Northampton to Market Harborough (N"MH) needs more team players like Northampton, Market Harborough and Leicester area reps to recruit new members and promote the idea of reopenings. If interested please forward enquiries to me: richard.erta@gmail.com

BRTA still has yet to get the name changed at the bank, not for want of trying, but they take ages. Please make donations payable to ERTA for now.

Our AGM - for your diaries - will be AGM and Public Meeting: Saturday, 13 July at The Court House, Church Lane, Berkhamsted HP4 2AX for 2-3pm AGM and 3-5pm business.

Phone: 01442-878227 https://www.stpetersberkhamsted.org.uk/courthouse/

12 Noon Wetherspoons, 13.00 Set Up. Guest Speaker: Karl Watts, a director at Railmotive Ltd. All welcome/admission free. Please bring cash with you to peruse our second-hand book and rail magazine stall, donate or join. Note: If you join as a new member on an old form, it will be honoured for the first year!

Other forums, if you wish to meet us or be out and about enjoying train travel are:

BRTA Summer Forums: Where Executive Officers go to regions, we are not so active in and reach out to find new members and support for our local rail agendas. Join us and let us get networking together! This summer, we are calling at:

1.          Westbury - Saturday, 18 May at the Railway Inn, Station Road, Westbury BA13 4HW https://www.railwayinn-westbury.co.uk/ Phone: Karen Griggs (landlady)

01373-228109 (landline) 07402-322334(mobile)

2.           Shrewsbury - Saturday, 8 June at the Montgomery Tower,

Lower Claremont Bank, Shrewsbury, Salop. SY1 1RT https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/shropshire/montgomerys-tower-shrewsbury Phone: 01743-239080.

3.           Sheffield - Saturday, 29 June at the Benjamin Huntsman,

12-18 Cambridge Street, Sheffield, South Yorks. S1 4UD 

https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/south-yorkshire/the-benjamin-huntsman-sheffield Phone: 0114-263-9500.

Chief Executive Officers for these Summer Forums are Messrs Simon Barber and David Ferguson (see header): c/o T: 0208 940 4399

All meetings are 1pm food and 2pm onwards business. Check for details.

E: simon4barber@gmail.com People are responsible for their own food and drink and transport arrangements. Why not take a hotel or B&B and enjoy exploring a new area? If you want ‘more and better,’ be willing to enable that!

Horsham Public Meeting (see attached) - 27-04-24 - all welcome. Please help spread the word. If we hire a hall it incurs cost, so please give of your time and donate, bring cash and peruse our second hand magazines and books and/or renew your membership or maybe join for the first time. It is your association, we are only as good as a growing membership informs.

Government have created costly barriers to deter!

re: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crg66p74e62o

The demand by Government for feasibility studies upwards of £100, 000 to get started and demands for expensive and excruciating business cases at cost, delays, deters and defers all lay people and campaigners and unless someone somewhere, finds the money in a cost of living crisis and austerity, these projects never see the light of day.

We do need local rail solutions. We do need local rail reopenings as a catalyst to modal shift back from road to rail for more people and goods by rail, with multiple benefits like cutting congestion, freeing up parking spaces, cutting air pollution and improving and empowering the public with more choice, options and enablement.

So, what can give, what can take? We need a nationwide programme, region by region of local rail line reopenings. Devon has Bude, Tavistock, Bideford and Ilfracombe in the line-up, and Government, bearing in mind the savings of road wear and tear maintenance and greater efficiency of time-energy usage, let alone climate change issues, should be incentivising such local rail schemes and incentivising parcels companies like UPS, Royal Mail, FedEx, DPD, DHL to mention just a few - all need to be engaging with a nationwide switch policy and facilitation from road to rail, yet apart from the grand success of Varamis Rail: https://www.varamis.co.uk/ we are decades behind where we need to be in terms of infrastructure restoration, incentives, costs and enablement. Switching to rail means capital expenditure and the Government is treating it as a 'free market/laissez-faire' matter, not the public, environmental and general leadership matter. Would Opposition Parties be any better? Alas, from observing Labour responses to 'bads', that opposition is failing to show what it would do differently. To renationalise or not to renationalise and who pays, remain academic and media points of underlying debate, when like other aspects of life, we need bringing more to the forefront with 'this is what we will do...', rather than he said, she said and this is the result - chaos, mayhem, rising costs and barriers! 

Hope of interest. Our projects from a Northampton-Market Harborough rail link and that of Guildford-Horsham, along with Derby-Manchester via Matlock, Bakewell and Buxton/Chinley, need Government of any shade support and that absence and long-grassing into quangos who tell us PFI is the way to go (whenceforth does it come?), remains the 'devil in the detail' (Leviathan!)! We're going round and round, time is slipping by and resolution by default is roads and negativity, blight and unsustainable development without services and infrastructure.

BRTA, with your support, will continue to work to get progress, improvement and chip-by-chip keep all our wheels moving!

Here's possibly an example of where your money has gone?

Avanti Bosses: Hand back your taxpayer-funded bonuses 

To: Mark Harper, Secretary of State for Transport of the United Kingdom Andy Mellors, Managing Director at Avanti West Coast Petition text: Avanti West Coast managers have joked about receiving “free money” from the government and performance-related payments being “too good to be true”. They should hand back every penny in bonuses they have received at the taxpayers’ expense. Why is this important? Leaked slides from an internal Avanti West Coast presentation, whose services are notorious for disruption, delays, short-notice cancellations and overcrowding, show senior management at the operator calling taxpayer money “too good to be true”. Avanti is Britain’s worst performing rail company. Annual accounts show Graham Sutherland, the CEO of FirstGroup which owns Avanti, will be paid £1.1m including £682,000 in bonuses for 2023, while chief financial officer Ryan Mangold earned £3m, including £2.5m in bonuses. In 2022, Mr Mangold received £1.9m. Latest figures from the Office of Rail and Road statistics show Avanti cancelled 2,976 trains between April and November 2023, an average of more than 13 per day. Despite their poor performance, Avanti and Cross Country were rewarded with new long-term contracts by the Government in September. Not only are Avanti a poorly-run rail company, but they also find it funny to laugh at the daylight robbery they are getting away with. They should be made to pay back every penny in taxpayer-money they received as bonuses as punishment. https://act.38degrees.org.uk/act/avanti-bonuses

Getting Volunteers for BRTA and East Midlands Rail Links Needed.

British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) formerly the English Regional Transport Association (ERTA) ~ we are in transition on-goingly.

We are voluntary and welcome members and non members to volunteer for whatever reason/s and get involved with us simply to help us do more and better.

I have been appointed as our external liaison officer to link and arc with voluntary recruitment opportunities.

We are small relatively, with about 52 members nationwide. We aspire to do and better, but have menial resources - human and financial. Therefore, whilst we have a constitution and public liability insurance, we aim to keep expenditure down and bureaucracy to minimum levels where possible.

On Volunteering, we have the following:

1. Committee/Forum work - meeting, engaging and contributing where can-do or where need-must.

2. Leafleting, on-going subject to funds. Can do out of area, is bonus. Reasonable public transport petrol costs can be considered.

3. Helping niche filling: remote host/desktop-based or out and about, growing/recruting, marketing and peopling BRTA with more members, helpers and enabling more, better and expansion is welcome.

4. People do not have to be local to me, but if any can team up and help me in Bedford and surrounds, that is welcome, like doing more indoor sales stalls / seeking opportunities and logistics, that is welcome.

5. Our main projects are:

a. updating our reopenings pamphlet - researching and making cases for short listings and then producing reports on pros, problems and way forwards (finding positive means-ways for more local rail solutions/reopenings/rebuilds/deviations and pieces of new lines/upgrades for more and better and more relevance to the public and communities and indeed, national picture.

b. helping with campaigns (resource procurement, management, planning and hands-on team working/team building) includes Northampton-Market Harborough, Bedford-Northampton, Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham and others, elsewhere. Not exhaustive, but these are our main focuses subject to growing income, people, reliability and enablement.

c. we have a Westminster Team, which can seek to meet and lobby key MP's, Lords, Department for Transport, Treasury and others including quangos set up by the government. Team working, reliability and ability to make a case, think on the go and roll-forward to find means and ways to court support. Someone wanted to do a cheese and wine meeting, for example inviting key people and a speaker. Again, yes in principle, but needs resourcing and people to set up, host and pack up safely and reliably.

This list is not exhaustive, but gives a flavour of the sorts of things we offer. People can get involved in all and every aspect, but obviously membership (we have concessionary rates) gives voting rights, non member volunteers do not have that, but loads of scope to negotiate, explore and gain experience in. We welcome all ages, as long as they are reliable, clean and decent. We wish to aim to recruit and attract 18+ people, to lower the age profile of the association (aging society/analogue v digital balances) and get the skills we need v experience of what works can also be telling too. Plenty of networking, plenty of CV filling, and the causes and aspirations benefit us as well. Flexibility and creativity are also, along with reliability - even to fail-safe, are key qualities we need.

If anyone wishes to explore further, my contact is in the footer and via email richard.erta@gmail.com We do not have formal offices (cost) but people can come to one or any of our published meetings see: https://ertarail.co.uk/events/

I attach a newsletter, which again, gives a flavour of what we seek and are about.

I welcome to hear from you further and any other recommended outlets/people/places to try is welcome to entertain/please feel free to forward as well. Our Area Rep scheme, enables people too far from our current patch to promote our brand and recruit new people, build a team, host a forum and our officers will endeavour to attend and work with it.

re: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-68513929.amp

We welcome this report by academics, but surely Northampton should be included by virtue of a Leicester-Northampton, Milton Keynes and Oxford via east-west rail and rebuilding of the already studied, Northampton-Market Harborough rail link? 

Likewise, Corby/Peterborough-Nottingham direct via Oakham, Melton Mowbray, Old Dalby and a new link to physically connect with Nottingham, a major transport East Midlands Hub, makes a lot of sense and would release capacity into and through Leicester.

If you know of any reliable person, willing to act as a BRTA Assistant Volunteer to pioneer getting this missing gap on the radar of organisations and outlets including Midlands Connect, we welcome to hear from them/forward them to us here at BRTA please.

Please help encourage people to attend our Market Harborough Public Meeting this Saturday: BRTA Market Harborough Public Meeting – Saturday 16 March – 12pm food and 2-4pm business

Lunch Venue: The Sugar Loaf, 18 High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7NJ

W. https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/leicestershire/the-sugar-loaf-market-harborough

Agenda: 1pm set-up, 2-4pm business and vacate by 5pm

Meeting Venue: Market Harborough Methodist Church/Hall, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, LE16 9HE

www.harboroughmethodistcircuit.org

BRTA Main Contact: Richard Pill, BRTA CEO, 01234 330090/07752096392

For others and our members:

New people needed are:

1. Reliable Leafleters - area specific or general all rounders.

2. Members to come on the serve on the EC without portfolio

3. Fundraisers and membership recruitment

4. Area Reps where we do not have cover like West Midlands, South West and North West and East Anglia for example.

5. Niche fillers like IT Troubleshooting, Making tea/coffee and a biscuit at all public events

6. Specific campaign researchers, case makers and helping with Westminster and other Teams to progress towards reopening and all it may entail.

7. Someone local to me to double up with seeking and negotiating low-cost sales stalls like Model Rail Exhibitions, doubling up with me, offering reliable transport to/from and growing our sales stock, branded stock and other on-line and other sales to generate presence, income and recruitment.

I welcome everyone to help with this. 

I have a particular set of circumstances and disabilities which restrict what I can DIY do. 

It must be a collective team effort to service a growing association in reach, range and dynamic growth effect.

I do believe we can snowball positively.

If interested, please let me know.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

BRTA CEO

https://ertarail.co.uk/events/