BRTA Market Harborough Public Meeting Reflections and Musings 12-04-25

Northampton could be central to a new and emergent north-south railway linking Leicester/Gateway for the East Midlands to Old Oak Common Station with links to HS2, Elizabethan Line and Heathrow for example and if BRTA gets its way, Guildford and beyond and vice versa.

The BRTA Market Harborough Public meeting courted just 9 people! A video advocating the reopening of Northampton-Market Harborough rail link was shown followed by a talk by Professor Andrew N. Williams on it and the wider merits, history, case and emergent dynamics.

BRTA organises meetings like this to bring people together, rally support for our causes and build through membership and donations the resource base to do more and better. It is a real challenge between people using what railways we have and getting reopenings/new-builds and bridging that gap also, getting people to turn out on a Saturday afternoon to show support, give the beef and enable the proper resources we need through giving and volunteering to take things forward. 

It is not the case ‘things can only get better’, but ‘things must get better' if we are to realise our goals. The association needs YOU!

It should not be down to us in any case, but our elected representatives showing leadership, working with councils of all tiers, agencies and central government to see the case for growth underscored by sustainable public transport at its heart and this rail link among others as critical green infrastructure for people and goods off congested roads. If a can't, won't and don't culture prevails, we lack a joined-up-ness which is detrimental to goals and public/environmental well-being as people and nation goes about its business. BRTA sees the gaps and calls for 'common sense' to prevail! Email your MP and demand support for Northampton-Market Harborough rail link: https://brtarail.com/n2mh/ and https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons

Meanwhile is there a case for agencies like England's Economic Heartlands (EEH) to be made more democratic and/or merged with local or regional councils to put the public more in the driving seat and focus minds on what is needed rather than political correctness, populism or tinkering around proverbial 'elephants in the room'?

Letters about Colne-Skipton Local-Regional rail reopening

re: https://www.cravenherald.co.uk/opinion/opinion_letters/25086966.letter-skipton-colne-line---huge-cost-12-miles-track/

Clearly the same old rhetoric many pro-rail campaigners face of in-depth questions to lay people which really the officials and agencies should be examining and answering, not avoiding leaving campaigners in the lurch. Yes, there's a call to do one's homework, but that is over-killed without respect to the goals trying to be brought about. Roads abound and get massive investment from conception of "wouldn't it be nice if..." to cutting ribbons. Whereas local rail reopenings face a huge challenge to get agency started, organised, sustained and running to empower local people to advocate a rail idea for benefit and wider improvement. This line is a junior to the idea of a full-blown rebuild to modern rail use of Woodhead, but in a top 10, is a key candidate because it would:

1. provide east-west linkages by rail currently not available

2. enable footfall and spend otherwise not available minus the traffic

3. enable traffic reduction strategies for lowering emissions to be realised en-masse

4. does have a track-record of community support amidst those detractors who play the pied piper of being critical and slightly cynical, luring people away rather than encouraging investment?

BRTA supports numerous rail reopenings and improvements in the North and wants unity for a cohesive strategy to move them all towards delivery. Who pays can be answered in what are we trying to achieve? Regeneration? Land saved? better environment? cleaner air? sustainability of social, economic, environmental and moral cohesion? Modal choice for greener modal shift? One reopening can offer all this, a top 10 delivered over a 10 year period from now, could do much, much more of the goodies the government says it wants, including of course economic growth and more employment!

Please email your local MP about these things: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons and encourage support for them and the campaign group for Colne-Skipton, SELRAP: https://www.selrap.org.uk/

re: https://www.cravenherald.co.uk/opinion/opinion_letters/25094005.letter-skipton-colne-railway---exist-fill-gaps/

Please add your voices of support to local rail reopenings like Colne-Skipton and elsewhere.  

Interesting they think I'm based in Kent (furthest south?! However, in true Midland style, BRTA is sometimes a double-header to share the load! We will continue to make in-roads whatever the setbacks or location and bridge gaps for opportunities for membership, volunteering and moving agendas forward in a difficult set of dynamics 'as ever'.

Please see our excellent website: https://brtarail.com/our-campaigns/ and other excellent pages reformed and improved by our excellent webmaster. 

BRTA is a team and is doing sterling work regardless of the shenanigans of some other organisations who act in a 'push-pull' manner sometimes, like half hearted to full-blown reopening programmes and agendas. They shy away from being bold, but the road lobby doesn't. With more people and resources, 

BRTA could do a lot more. That is the choice and challenge, but most reopenings have exceeded the expected predictions of usage and many rail journalists were sceptical about the Borders Railway as a long truncated branch or even as a through route to Carlisle, but carried about 3 million in the first 2 years! 

The Northumberland Line has performed like-wise and if Labour are serious about regeneration, growth and sustainability, rail is the way to go. MP's need reminding of this and held to account accordingly.

The 'Greener' Transport Revolution does not need 'rocket science', rather re-railing and get on with it!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-65921577 What transport-wise this country needs is a network of cycle/walk-ways alongside trunk roads and motorways across England and retain former railway corridors for re-railing wherever possible if demand can be ascertained? Instead we are clashing local rail connectivity with nature, cycling and walking, which should not be the case! We need the government to demand every agency and council to work together for traffic reduction strategies not just on paper but in delivery terms with rewards for doing it and over-ride if they do not. We desperately need modal shift from road to rail - people and goods, without the robust network a programme of local rail reopenings and select new pieces of railway cannot deliver it. Modal shift is not do-able on any scale like turning a mere 10% freight by rail to 80% by rail and off the roads. Emissions from vehicle pollution is harming people, boosting NHS waiting lists and costing everyone avarice. The 1960's local rail closures are the root of where we are today and people, places and environmental concerns need choice of transport, affordable public transport and capacity enhancements to enable the trains, the freight and more access rail routes to enable volume switch from road to rail. Switching funding from new roads to local rail reopenings can also mean in austerity times, new money is not necessarily required. All regions need their fair share! https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons Please email your local MP and request support for these things nationwide as well as local particulars. Join BRTA and offer to help: https://brtarail.com/become-a-member/ Walking and cycling is essential as is a decent and comprehensive local rail network... which is where British Steel could also be extremely useful. Join the dots, now is the time to re-rail Great Britain. Today Lewes in East Sussex; from now, the rest of the UK please!

Otherwise this is the 'norm'!

BRTA Welcomes the new Universal Development in Bedfordshire but...

https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/jobs-joy-and-jurassic-park-bedford-responds-to-universal-studios-announcement/

It seems Kimberley College, Stewartby Parish and Universal/Bedford Borough are in agreement to merge the two stations? Stewartby and Kempston Hardwick? Fair enough, but does it set a precedent like Aspley Guise and Woburn Sands?

Related rail link could arc Birmingham-Northampton-Bedford (Universal Theme Park/8 million visitors per year) and Luton, London and Brighton: 

https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/travel/potential-game-changer-for-northampton-to-bedford-5073090?utm_source=mantis_rec&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=more_like_this 

BRTA Press Release 09-04-25

BRTA Welcomes the new Universal Development in Bedfordshire but...

British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) welcomes the news that the Universal Leisure Theme Park will be coming to Bedfordshire and near the perimeter of the Bedford area itself with easy rail access on two sides of it.

BRTA believes it will bring jobs and supply chains will get a boost, it will bring coincidental visitorship and a new wave of opportunity to exhibit what the Bedfordshire area has to offer.

However, BRTA is concerned to ensure that the rail access dynamic is properly understood. It is our view that:

1. All stations along the Bedford-Bletchley Railway must be upgraded with longer trains, infill electrification and a diversity of services including early inclusion in Oxford services. Kempston Hardwick Station (halt) will be adjacent to the theme park and needs upgrading with longer platforms, parking, a booking hall, public toilets and a coffee shop. We also want neighbouring Stewartby Station (halt) to remain where it is and be upgraded as it serves the village, sports facilities and is popular for students using the train to nearby Kimberley College.

2. Wixams will need upgrading and access on both sides on the main line between Bedford and Flitwick. We believe Ampthill Station should be studied and reopened so the Ampthill area is more accessible by rail and does not miss out on footfall and spend in a sustainable fashion.

3. East-West Rail to Cambridge should go east of Bedford via the St John's area and have physical tracks linking with Peterborough, East Bedfordshire and Stevenage direct to the Bedford area from day one. The whole Oxbridge arc could be rebranded as a leisure corridor, so the life-balance of work and play, family life and conservation are equally valued and people, places and the environment are designed in, not just green-washed.

4. Stations North of Bedford need studying and progressing to bring North Bedfordshire into the frame for easy access by rail to the theme park and cut congestion down the A6, freeing up parking nearer to where people commute from.

5. Northampton, population exceeding 200, 000 should have a new direct rail link to Bedford and make the A428 a properly sustainable corridor. Study routing options, get a roundtable and bring agencies together to work on it as an extension of Thameslink and East-West Rail. 

6. New local shuttle rail services direct between Bedford and Leicester. The electrification project calls at Leicester next, so like Wixams, new local stations at Oakley, Sharnbrook, Irchester, Desborough and Kibworth Harcourt could be reopened without impinging on faster lines and services.

BRTA CEO Richard Pill said "With an estimated 8 million visitors per year from all directions including Luton Airport as another gateway, the area needs these rail adjustments to ensure we are not seeing a proliferation of congestion, pollution and emissions. Parking alone is not the answer, we need to use this golden investment opportunity to get our local rail infrastructure and services back and leave a legacy to benefit future generations to be proud of."

End of Press Release

Further Comment​: Richard Pill, BRTA CEO 01234 225068 or richard.brta@gmail.com ​ Our recommended website page is: https://brtarail.com/bedfordshire/ and our Blogspot also: https://brtarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/

General news of the go ahead for the Theme Park: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz95n2837vgo

All welcome:

BRTA Bedford Area Forum

Wednesday 11^th June 2025

1pm-4pm All welcome

Venue: The Library Room, Bedford Quaker Meeting House, 5 Lansdowne Road, Bedford, MK40 2BY
 
Venue Website: www.llquakers.org.uk/bedford
Free Admission Email richard.brta@gmail.com and join our free email loop for updates. Bring cash to peruse our stall, donate or join! Together we are stronger!
 

Join the discussion around local transport and public transport issues around Bedford Borough with us. Topics BRTA wants support for include: East-West Rail (get the route right!), Stations North of Bedford (Oakley and Sharnbrook), a new station on the Bedford-Bletchley Railway for the Retail Park Kempston and Better Buses.

BRTA Voluntary Needs Opportunities

BRTA is voluntary and nationwide in scope and aspiration.We have a need, member or not, for the following positions, you need to be reliable, flexible and non-judgmental as well as able to fulfill the roles:1. Events and Funding Grants Officer - see to manage events, ensure they work and are peopled. Research and apply for relevant grant funding and ensure events are successful in finance, in support and outcomes.You would liaise with the BRTA CEO day-to-day Richard Pill and the Executive Committee to approve and interject projects. Some collaboration with the Treasurer is also needed.2. Research and Photographic Officer - take photos of meetings, take photos of trains, landscapes, old trackbed and as and when portfolio developments and research cases and put summary documents together with evidence for reopening local lines (specific and general). May involve travel, need to be interested and self funding.3. Assistants to Richard Pill and David J. Start to help with - ideal if you own a car - a. give lifts and enable double-up for manning stalls out and aboutb. help with storage, equipment and setting up meetingsc. fronting first contact and growing the BRTA membership and support base.d. Tasking on project work and tasks and helping to develop the revenue income and image of the association in public awareness, support and helping progress projects towards support and delivery. 

If anyone is interested, please contact Richard Pill, BRTA CEO richard.brta@gmail.com or ring 01234 225068 for more information.

Other opportunities: https://brtarail.com/get-involved-volunteering/

Government Gives London Luton Airport Expansion Plans the Go-ahead!

Related rail link could arc Birmingham-Northampton-Bedford (Universal Theme Park/8 million visitors per year) and Luton, London and Brighton: https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/travel/potential-game-changer-for-northampton-to-bedford-5073090?utm_source=mantis_rec&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=more_like_this

05 April 2025

Press Release

Government Gives London Luton Airport Expansion Plans the Go-ahead!

BRTA is shocked by the sudden government go-ahead for London Luton Airport Expansion Plans. This is because, along with other airports around the outer M25 cordon like Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, these expansion decisions are in a context of already overheated South-East systems whereby congestion, delay, overcrowding and pollution blight, means the adjacent areas already take more than their fair share of blight and this consideration and associated NHS and other costs, are not being taken into consideration.

BRTA wants to see more and better rail links to these airports, in Luton's case the following:

1. A new 8-coach bay platform and new 'South Chiltern' service linking alternatively Heathrow and Reading via the proposed to reopen North-West London 'Dudding Hill Line'. 

2. A study and support for a new direct Luton-Dunstable/A5 Parkway Station-Milton Keynes Central via linking to the West Coast Main Line south of built Leighton Buzzard, to enable easier access sustainably to/from the airport and the principal north-south main lines to reduce traffic proliferation across the South Bedfordshire Corridor (SBC) from day-one of airport expansion.

BRTA CEO said "without more and better rail links, Luton, Stansted and Heathrow will be blighted and the environment will take a dip in quality of life experiences. Airport expansion has pros and cons, but if you are going to prescribe down development of this magnitude, then some consideration of better and more rail access from all directions should have been included, and we are left thinking it is at best an after-thought."

BRTA continues to make the need for the additional rail link understood and calls on studies, route identification and powers to be directed to delivery agency of some descript, to deliver them in a timely manner, wider nationwide benefits can boost regeneration on back of them, so a sound investment, whereas more roads upgrades and proliferation, eats land for more parking, loss of green spaces and worsening quality of life for residents across large tracts of the landscape."

Further Comment: Richard Pill, BRTA CEO 

01234 225068 or email richard.brta@gmail.com

Background: https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/projects/london-luton-airport-expansion-granted-consent/150090/#:~:text=The%20secretary%20of%20state%20for,year%20from%2018m%20to%2032m.

What you can do:

:

1. Join BRTA: https://brtarail.com/become-a-member/

2. Email your MP and give our views support: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons

3. Vote with your feet, wallets and at the ballot box!

Join our free email loop via richard.brta@gmail.com

Open Access could be an asset to local rail expansion projects in addition to regular service patterns?

In the current issue of Rail (2nd to April 16, 2025 page 8) an open access bid includes Nottingham Leicester Bedford to Oxford Bristol is discussed.

https://www.railmagazine.com/news/2025/03/25/two-new-open-access-cross-country-routes-set-to-be-submitted-to-rail-regulator

The railway reopening Northampton to Market Harborough (N2MH) would could bring the rail journey timings further by potentially 20-30 minutes, making your bid potentially even more attractive.

With the support of 2 local MP’s the BRTA is leading a campaign to complete an updated assessment on potentially reopening N2MH, which was only closed in 1982

https://brtarail.com/n2mh/

An incomplete 2020 Network Rail report concluded full reopening was possible and gave a Northampton to Leicester Journey time of 34 minutes (the present rail table is well over 100 minutes and 2 changes)

The BRTA website includes the redacted 2020 Network Rail report, as well as the recently proposed Northampton to Old Oak Common line proposed by England Economic Heartlands

If we could secure support for the N2MH report to be completed and updated that would be extremely helpful.

I would be very happy to discuss further.

We have a public meeting in Market Harborough on April 12th.

Spanner is Government's Great British Railways, will they cater and include Open Access on top of regular services or thwart it on ideological fit grounds? Jury is out, but lobbying is going on. If it can and can be given more credence in the wider regenerative scheme of things like being pegged or associated with a reopening, then that is for BRTA a positive, especially when noone else is taking the lead on reopenings generally? Bideford - GWR interested, Fawley, Open Access by First Group, so N2MH with whoever does Nottingham-Bristol/Old Oak Common, we have that chance too of adoption of projects like East-West Rail was and then they run with the ball.

Our MP's support should be made aware if SLC gives any support and asked to support their proposal as GBR goes through Parliament to have clauses like "if pegged to a reopening, resulting in network expansion, should be given favourable consideration in addition and above local services".

1. Check: https://brtarail.com/events/

2. Join BRTA: https://brtarail.com/become-a-member/

3. Email your local MP and ask for their support/forward to BRT responses: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons

4. See: https://harboroughfm.co.uk/new-campaign-to-restore-rail-link/