Northampton, a central place bereft of rail link stewardship!

re: https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/politics/plans-approved-for-525-homes-to-be-built-on-land-the-size-of-34-football-pitches-in-northampton-4761619

We have called for protection of radial rail routes into/out of Northampton. Northampton; 200, 000 population and growing, is geographically central, yet has the poorest rail links and services of any comparable sized place in the country arguably, akin to Bradford, dwarfed by Leeds?

The corridor from Bedford into Northampton Castle Station is critical to protect adequacy for 25KV electrification and noise/vibrations must be sufficient length from new flimsy housing to avoid objections. We have no confidence that safeguarding is active here. 

Even if the majority of these houses are away from the old trackbed, the impact without the railway on local single carriageway roads with congestion gridlock now, will be horrendous.  It seems to us the Council, eager to please housing quotas, is just arbitrarily identifying tracks of land and allocations without serious consideration to 1. what conventional rail could offer and 2. impact on existing highways and air pollution levels without rail choices.

Please write to West Northants Council and Cllrs and demand a better deal for reopening local rail links including Northampton-Bedford and Market Harborough to mitigate rising population and traffic levels impacting everyone. 

https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/councillors-and-committees/find-your-councillor

The majoritively middle class, rural idyllic is dictating to the compact, urbanised less well off audiences and dumping around the periphery with driving and roads impacting on less well off areas who cannot buy in or out of what constitutes a transport and environmental crisis.

BRTA has spoken with elected councillors over a considerable time and they seem completely not to care about these things. Indeed, they would pit a walkway over a modern local rail link, latter which handles bulk people and goods, and a pathway/cycleway can be slewed in any case, not so easily with a proper railway, yet the gains majoritively more. That is the dilemma facing Northampton, and its people and ideally, Northampton Borough, should have been made a Unitary Council in its own right. Alas, it is being abused by people who are not engaging to get these rail links restored to rebalance development with adequate rail-based transport solutions.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

BRTA CEO

01234 225068

Ps. Don't scapegoat or blame the messenger, but consider the impact of these piecemeal developments in the round more please.  

Northampton, UK should have radial rail links, not be putting development on top of former rail junctions and corridors! Please help us.

I wish to say that I am saddened by the inadequately funded Local Rail Reopenings Fund and its withdrawal. 

We need more modal- shift back to rail in this country for many good reasons. 

We need local-based rail reopenings to enable more by rail. For that to happen, we need a pro-active vision and plan for protecting select former rail routes and ensuring all tiers of government are doing just that, not the hotch-potch of aspirations and blue-sky thinking, whilst Rome burns with blockages at the local planning level. New towns are all very well, but without new and accessible rail infrastructure (we think of growing Brackley without a rail link) but also this planning application as an example: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly952732jeo 

It potentially impinges on the former shared access route into Northampton from both the Bedford and Wellingborough corridors. Space must be for adequate clearances and minimising vibrations and noise impact on development, enabling 25KV electrification and ensuring the rails can be put back. 

This is far from the case and in the example of Northampton-Market Harborough, despite a Network Rail Study done in 2020, we only got to see it due to 2 FOI applications and even then redacted. We need Local Government on board with us, but somehow that does not seem to be the case. Northampton says it wants to link with the forth-coming East-West Rail, but that is only a change at Bletchley, Cambridge and Bedford-wise, direct rails for passenger (Thameslink) and freight, makes more sense direct to Bedford. 

On East-West Rail, we object to the proposed Northern Route E as hilly, not fit for purpose and in our view, it would be far better for the old route, 'east and of Bedford via St Johns' to be looked at for reopening which is shorter, flat and direct to either north or south of Station Road, Tempsford with physical rail linkages for North-South to/from East West Oxford Arc Corridors interaction for passenger and freight usage/market potential.

If you wish to meet with a delegation, I am happy to discuss and explore. 

I have been campaigning since 1985 on these related issues and believe the whole country, the issues, models and challenges replicate, due to a lack of joined-up and through thinking of procedures. We make high-sided fences and barriers demanding studies, costs which rule out lay people and yet, if Government were to for environmental, land use, efficiency and other benefits select a move towards more by rail and follow-on from such a modal shift policy, engagement could align and plan-implement more to achieve this. 

Haverhill is an example of a new town, no rail/closure coinciding and that is a missed opportunity and repeats across the country. 

I appeal for you to look at these things again and work constructively with us. Thank you. Join our loop via richard.brta@gmail.com

BRTA Leicester - Join and help inform the network and capacity Leicester deserved.

Contact richard.brta@gmail.com

Press Release BRTA ‘disgusted’ at recent Chancellor’s Statement withdrawal of Rail Reopenings Fund

 

                                                                            31 July 2024 

 Press Release

 
BRTA ‘disgusted’ at recent Chancellor’s Statement withdrawal of Rail Reopenings Fund
 
Whilst BRTA is supposed to be strictly non-party political, we do praise and criticise any political outlet we may disagree with.
 
BRTA is particularly ‘disgusted at the recent decision by Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer to cut the Local Rail Reopenings Fund, a mere £500 million for the whole of Great Britain. In times when Government is charged with putting the environment first, to cut emissions and traffic on our roads, chopping this pro-positive local rail expansion budget seems to fly in the face of environment ‘centre of all we do’ and is a petty ‘tit-for-tat’ cut a road Scheme (Stonehenge) with a nationwide cull on local rail expansion? This means all the scattered development expansion ambitions of government are more likely to be unsustainable with green aesthetical window dressing, but not modal shift without sweating the existing rail network which has glaring gaps in it and which leaves large urban and rural communities, thanks to the 1960’s closures, without local rail access in a modern context.
 
BRTA calls for Government and Treasury to think again on this matter and put land use and the environment first in transport and planning sequestrations and integrations, not just ad hoc sprawls.
 
End of Press Release

 

Contact Richard Pill BRTA Media Spokesperson: 

07706600062 richard.brta@gmail.com

 

BRTA Sheffield Forum Saturday 29th June 2024 by Simon Barber of BRTA:

20-07-24

re: https://www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/p/time-for-a-rail-revolution

This article makes a good case for expanding the rail network in the Sheffield area. Obviously we want the Sheffield Victoria open and Don Valley Rail and Stocksbridge. Sheffield needs an orbital railway to enable more freight coming through the area not to take up paths which passenger services need. Personally, LRT should be on road space as per Manchester i.e. it is extra!

Electrification of the Midland Main Line to Sheffield and Leeds with a seamless service cutting out some of the changes to get south and north. So for example Luton Airport, Leicester, Sheffield and Leeds. They should have choice to ECML and MML could make more of a contribution. 

I hope you will respond to the article and encourage these things and keeping medium long term options open like route protection, like studying to explore modern cases in the modern context, not floundering on past glories and constantly putting off until routes are lost and other priorities take over. We need an optimal rail reach and range if model shift is to be realised in a generation. Campaigns which endure are well organised, peopled and delegate to ensure more.

BRTA Sheffield Forum Saturday 29th June 2024 by Simon Barber of BRTA:

I attended the Sheffield Forum which was held at the Benjamin Huntsman pub (Wetherspoons), and there were also our members David Ferguson and Christopher Hyomes. Four other attendees came (as per our Attendance List) - Andy Faulkner (Minsters Rail), Chris Bell (Don Valley Railway), Nigel Kavanagh-Brown (MEMRAP) and Dr Jonathan Coghill. The following matters were discussed:

Don Valley Railway and Woodhead - One freight train every day to Stocksbridge steel works and the line is in very good condition. However, tram-trains could be up-graded for Stocksbridge, and heavy rail in the long-term also from Stocksbridge to Penistone. There is pressure to re-open Sheffield Victoria, since Sheffield MIdland is heavily congested.

Peak Rail (Matlock - Buxton/Chinley) - These could be used for both fast and slow trains, plus stone traffic. The new East Midlands mayoralty covers both Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire (but not Leicestershire) and they are now in favour of Peak Rail. The Peaks and Dales Railway (MEMRAP campaign) now has links with local universities.

Minsters Rail - This seems to be high on the lists, whilst the Humber estuary often gets flooded - also some of the East Yorkshire communities will be reconnected to the rail network and the A1079 York-Beverley Road suffers from traffic congestion.

Harrogate-Ripon-Northallerton: The Harrogate-Ripon should be the first stage of the reopening since many Ripon residents commute to both Harrogate and Leeds. The 1 mile of a Ripon bypass has taken track and then work on a diversion to Thirsk, since there were some developments at Northallerton - both Thirsk and Northallerton would de-clutter York.

Christopher Hyomes our BRTA Northern/Yorkshire Area Rep: had suggested that our next meeting should take place in a church hall for which Chris will search one out and then will pay for it. To keep in touch, contact Simon via T: 0208 940 4399 E: simon4barber@gmail.com and Chris Hyomes T: 07971 766207   E: chris.hyomes@hotmail.co.uk

BRTA calls for any new government of whatever shade, to switch priorities from roads to rails more!

BRTA calls for any new government of whatever shade, to switch priorities from roads to rails more!

 

BRTA is concerned that the track-record of previous governments over decades has left the existing rail network depleted, rationalised and run-down and poured £billions into new roads and upgrading roads (A27/A24) which attracts increasing volumes of traffic, makes for more rat-runs across country to join other queues, increasing pressure on land use allocation for endless parking spaces, when we need environmentally and socially to make using public transport (especially more rail journeys) more amenable, affordable and accessible.

 

Key Rail Projects we want support for:

1.      Guildford-Cranleigh-Horsham, the Arundel Curve and a Phase 2 look at the direct line to Shoreham from Horsham with linking bridges and curves included in modern designs.

2.      Polegate-Stone Cross direct line reinstatement/realigned new build to shave 20 minutes end-to-end Brighton-Ashford transits by trains giving more capacity for Eastbourne specific services and challenging the appeal of endless road use.

3.      A new curve from the Tonbridge line towards Gatwick which could link to a host of existing services more than having to change at Redhill all the time.

4.      A study to look at linking Tonbridge with the Guildford Line direct at Redhill and

5.      Electrification of the North Downs Line to enable semi-fast Thameslink services into Guildford and possible Reading as they do likewise to access Horsham.

BRTA believes these projects need a switch from £27 billion new roads fund to pep up the Rail Reopening Fund which was pitted at a mere £500 million for all Great Britain, which is, given a need to cut emissions and congestion, a meagre and unequal recognition of what rail can offer.

6.      A rail link corridor from Tonbridge-Brighton via Eridge, Uckfield and the Lewes area.

End of Press Release

Further Comment: Richard Pill, BRTA CEO 07752 096392 

e. richard.erta@gmail.com  https://ertarail.co.uk/events/

BRTA Election Special - whoever wins, will face significant choices with consequences.

Whoever wins the General Election will be consciously aware that the matters pertaining to the environment, land use and transport matter to the public at large and are associated with issues, urgent to address from early on in a new Government. As some have said, on the one hand the situation of overheating and severe extremes of weather, can be devastating from floods to excessive heat to other side-effects like food production and costs spiralling on the back of uncertainty as social, economic, environmental and moral are linked. If we play thrift with planet earth, we gamble with our very selves. 

BRTA is voicing the rail agenda in terms of local rail solutions more, local conventional rail reopenings too. This not haphazardly pluralistic 'anything goes' but specific, targeted region by region identification of gaps, communities disenfranchised and these can be urban and inter-urban, but also rural clusters without rail access. The Borders Railway is a good example of a mainly rural context raising doubts whether it could sustain a railway, and yet carried over 4 million people within the first 2 years. In other part of Britain, like the densely population South East, East-West and Northern England for example, it is highly likely that even greater patronage would result as people and goods flock back to the rails when given a chance. 

So we enter this period with a renewed desire to see a coming together as one nation to work towards the common interest of the people, places and land use the rail agenda offers. Unless we do, congestion, waste and pollution is the order of the day and that from whichever view you take, is unsustainable short, medium or long term. Give support to re-railing now please and donate time, money and interest to BRTA to that end. Thank you.

Lots of pluralism abounding in the transport discussions. From P.R. to ribbon cutting to Hyperloop to High Speed to conventional rail people can actually use. The list goes on.

What gives, what takes is 'it'. It is BRTA's conviction that we need more local rail solutions upwards and outwards and local rail reopenings for a plethora of reasons needs to be approached on a nationwide year-on-year commitment plan basis, regional.

This may not mean new money, but rather a conviction and policy by any new government to switch from a road to rail emphasis and growth for the planet, land use stewardship, cut inefficiencies of congestion and boost productivity on the back of more and better local rail links and accessibility. The folly of the 1960's closures was that once the tracks no longer exist, rail potential is out of the game.

Now, we need some of those tracks back, the complication and cost of rectifying routes or new routes is a risk-liability-cost headache, which politicians need convincing of. It is no use sweating what we have, we need more and better rail capacity. All eggs in one basket 'HS2' is one approach with default, but that still leaves communities, intermediate places and a swathe of new flows un-addressed by rail.

At best we need both, at least incremental rail progress enables more for more and that would be a better direction than hitherto. Join BRTA and help volunteer to advance these critical matters where decisions can be made.

BRTA has the Sheffield Forum tomorrow (Saturday 29th June) and our AGM and Public Meeting in Berkhamsted (on the local Euston line) on 13th July. All welcome, admission free. Bring cash to join, donate, peruse our stalls when and where we have them please.

BRTA is soon to change its URL to include 'b' not 'e' for brta! We need a new webmaster to manage the website, it is all voluntary, so please make us offers to consider - maybe a team of people with a coordinator could share it out? Likewise, we want to grow a team who can work up our rough drawings to be aesthetically helpful diagrams - we have used Microsoft Provisio - any interest and offers, please for any and all these voluntary roles contact Richard Pill, BRTA CEO via richard.erta@gmail.com

Newsletter out next week and the General Election - still time to ask about rail and better, affordable and accessible public transport for all and vote with your ballot paper, feet and wallets accordingly. That is a fine start!