Rails for the East - to and from across England

13-04-2023 Food for thought, click the link!

Why can't we have a nationwide network of these cycle, footpath, nature corridors alongside all motorways and trunk roads and disallow the use of old railway formations wanted for reopening to be laden with them whilst roads go scott free? https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/23445960.a27-work-complete-cycle-path-built-east-lewes-scheme/ The Bedford-Cambridge rail route (our suggestion of east of Bedford via St John's) is objected to partly due to a Sustrans Cycle route on part of it. But why can't it go alongside A603 and A421 instead Oxford-Cambridge and free-up the corridor for a railway? Just one east-west railway, surely the merits outweigh intransigence on part of the cycle lobby? Even running alongside with a perimeter fence could enable the railway too? Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham also and elsewhere: Matlock-Buxton?

Photos of our meeting:

27-03-2023

I attach our press release following Saturday's packed public meeting tabled by ERTA in Bedford. More substantial 'notes' are available via richard.erta@gmail.com

I would like to place on record our thanks to Mohammad Yasin MP and Mayoral Candidate, Cllr. Tom Wootton for attending and speaking at the meeting.

The press release should be self explanatory, but I am happy to do any interviews or engage as I may.

In sum, the Northern Route has many flaws and issues. The process to which it came out as 'popular' was flawed whereby our route was not even in the contenders. Northern Route E is deeply unpopular with 50 houses possibly to be demolished, steep gradients, tunnelling, avariced cost at £5 billion and less than satisfactory answers to how it lands at Tempsford, how it interfaces with 300 houses on a flood plain and much more. 

Contrast ERTA's route, which uses some of the old Bedford-Cambridge route needs to be studied with a 'can do' approach whereby problems are tackled with solution scenarios and lobbying is then done to DfT and ORR to get the special circumstantial dispensation to enable the rail link to be brought back to life for wide benefits as a result. It is my view and that of ERTA generally, that there's no blockages which cannot reasonably be overcome, albeing east of Willington to the Tempsford area, a new construction is required, north of Blunham and Sandy. Likewise, we don't want a grade separated twin platform station with the main line at Tempsford, rather physical linking tracks to the slow lines to bring-in scope from that main line to Bedford and the wider Oxford corridor from south of Peterborough, north of Stevenage including East Bedfordshire and indeed Cambridge and wider East Anglia including passenger and freight by rail a whole lot more.

We call on all tiers of government to work with us and engage positively.

Had a good meeting today in Bedford 25-03-2023. 

Both Conservative Candidate for Mayoral Cllr Tom Wootton and Mohammad Yasin MP attended and spoke to an audience of around 40 people. The room was packed to overflowing and many questions and discussion followed. Suffice to say the Northern Route E for east-west rail is very unpopular and whilst our ERTA idea of rails east of Bedford via St John's seems of interest, is not a panacea and needs a study, compare and contrast benefits and over-coming problems approaches and cross-party support, which is critically lacking. ERTA will continue to interject as may be and welcome people to join and write in favour of our agenda. Thank you. All enquiries to richard.erta@gmail.com We thank the media for their helpful pre-coverage: https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/bedford-and-kempston-mp-to-discuss-ewr-and-other-local-rail-issues-at-public-meeting/

Agenda to follow:

We understand that following the Budget announcements, Bedford-Cambridge rail reopening new route will be announced in May 2023... watch this space!

re: https://www.railfreight.com/railfreight/2023/03/14/east-of-england-rail-investment-failing-freight-and-passenger/?gdpr=accept

Details of our meeting in Bedford attached. All welcome.

Our ERTA preference in Bedford-Tempsford via rails east of Bedford via St John's area and old trackbed with deviation at Willington and new embankment based building north of Blunham. The current view is north of Bedford via new-build arcing through Ravensden area. Nil passive provision for getting through Black Cat Roundabout expansion and new developments south of St Neots/North of Station Road, Tempsford. 

In 5 years time, none of these routes will be recoverable.

That defaults to all existing and new east-west transport land-based movements by roads which are consistently getting upgraded but also ever-more congested. So standing still is no answer to these conundrums. I am pretty sure that if you want full-bodied rail and traffic on the rails north of Bedford, 6-tracking will be required with consequences. I am dubious it will work generally, but even more so if existing twin-track slow lines are used with growth of existing lines plus east-west rail. 

Via St John's as far as I know requires no houses to be lost. Yes it is problematic like level crossings at certain locations and / or bridging. Speeds of 100 mph are daft as curvature of existing Bedford-Bletchley would probably mean trains coming off on the curves! 

Likewise east of Bedford, I'd settle for 70 mph max and have a railway than gridlocked roads and locked-in pollution affecting public health as is across the regions such may serve? Our leaders seem hapless, sadly, the government is strapped for cash but finds it when it wants?

​I'm always open to explore and discuss, we are not the impediment, rather seeking balance and rail-based solutions.

The two routes should be worked up and studied and put before the local public in a consultation and referendum.If we don't, if we just object without a rail-based Plan B, then ultimately a new railway will have to go somewhere and may well end up with Oxford-Bedford and other lines east-west to Cambridge and wider East Anglia? 

1997 was the original East-West Rail Study and made the case for a new Oxford-Cambridge route via Bedford and east of St John's. It found after Milton Keynes, Bedford was the second most beneficiary along the whole corridor if the railway was reconstructed. The case was accepted by Government up to 2003/4 and others rallied time and again for the next 10 years. Then a lack of development control and development curtaining off the eastern access north of Sandy, led to where we are today.

A statement from East-West Rail and Bedford Borough Council for our meeting next Saturday would be appreciated for me to read out to those who attend. Local elections coming up, post them and Coronation, we need to have the map and plan of where the project is going of Plan A and B.

Meanwhile, sorting the Ely bottleneck and considering a new rail parallel to the A14 (Felixstowe-West Midlands) with links to existing radial north-south main lines may cost £100 billion, but at least the land is majoritively there, 5-10 years won't be. The current Peterborough-Nuneaton corridor is oversubscribed, lacks capacity and Leicester needs relief, not to more roads, but 25, 50 and 75 miles east-west axis radial to London, more east-west rail links if more decluttering, modal shift to rail and cutting emissions on land transport is to be done. People can write to their MP and DfT in support and of course, join/donate to ERTA, as every member and £'s in the kitty, help us towards doing more, and more reliable volunteers enable better too. Please join and help us. Thank you.

Northampton-Market Harborough rail link reopening idea and associated Northampton-based rail links

31-08-23

Thanks to a Freedom of Information request we now have a copy of the 2020 study for reopening a new Northampton-Market Harborough rail link and basically, the benefits are numerous but shaving Northampton-Leicester timings from 90 minutes to somewhere about 35 minutes each way could revolutionise footfall and spend minus congestion equalling benefits more! 

Indeed, with an Oxford-Milton Keynes and Northampton rail reopening from the south (takes on A43 and A421 corridors) and Northampton-Market Harborough takes on (A508 and M1), the wins for social, economic and environmental benefits are not wild dreams, but hard facts and opportunities which demand a more supportive response. 

ERTA believes that on the one hand demand for endless studies presents a complicated maths and funding barrier, then if you are so lucky, there's no money to pay for the physical infrastructure. Yet roads are evaluated not by lay people but publicly paid professionals, there's gross inequality in favour of roads despite a climate emergency. How we tackle these issues, the we being tiers of governance and public coming together to put a commonsensical approach and greater levelling up to actually get 'spades in the ground' not endless report production, report trading, endless conferences, high paid salaries around organised discussions, whilst 'Rome burns', remains a key problem to address. 

Tiers of governance, tiers of inequality but open opportunities in a context of cost-ratios and diminutives, means act now, you get savings, keep putting off or fearing costs whilst some councils are thread-bare, should not be a barrier for constructive collaboration and working at reopening local rail links for the benefits they offer for people and goods. 

If you are not a member of ERTA, please join. If you can tap into our meetings and give us support, please do. The following give a wealth of information: https://ertarail.co.uk/events/ and https://ertarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/ 

ERTA is not a talk-shop, we are action stations with every volunteer asked for reliability, everyone having a role and responsibility. We are not in the game of chuck a tenna and let us graft, rather we are as good as a growing and active membership informs. Want more in your area? Join, become an Area Rep and act, grow a team, recruit new members and together we are stronger. My role is delegatory and coordination as best one may. Thank you.

New ERTA Diagram:

Details of Public Meeting from 01-07-2023

ERTA Public Meeting: Northampton Public Meeting – the big one! Saturday 30^th September at The Northampton Quakers, Quaker House, Wellington Street, Northampton NN1 3AS 

https://www.quaker.org.uk/meetings/northampton 2pm-4pm (core time) with Guest Speaker: Mr Andrew Meaney, Partner in Oxera https://www.oxera.com/ An economic and finance consultancy. Andrew will be speaking around 

‘‘Rail funding, and effective business cases” followed by Questions and Answers (Q&A). There will also be discussion for a Northampton-Market Harborough rail link as well as a general rail and transport discussion and a general mingle and sales stall (old magazines mainly). Please bring cash with you. Any enquiries please ring 01234 330090 or email richard.erta@gmail.com All welcome. A retiring collection will be available. Please invite others and help spread the word. Parking is limited.

Update 16-06-2023

This caught my eye and bravo to our Patron Professor Andrew Williams for engaging in it.

re: https://exchange.ca-wn.org/learning-our-lines/

Details of our Northampton Public Meeting is:

Northampton Public Meeting – the big one! Saturday 30th September at The Northampton Quakers, Quaker House, Wellington Street, Northampton NN1 3AS https://www.quaker.org.uk/meetings/northampton 2pm-4pm (core time) with Guest Speaker (asked) and sales stall (old magazines, please bring cash with you). ERTA has an agenda for Northampton, we want a new-build Northampton-Bedford (linking with lines to London and Brighton as well as emergent East-West Rail to Cambridge and East Anglia) and a new-build Northampton-Market Harborough. These lines need studying, the formal case to be worked up and routes including new-build/deviations factored in designs. Cycle, walkway and nature corridors can go alongside trunk roads as per A27 Lewes: https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/23445960.a27-work-complete-cycle-path-built-east-lewes-scheme/ Too long we’ve thrown everything at former rail routes, whilst denying their re-use as a railway, but instead entertain unadulterated increases in road traffic, congestion, pollution, toll on public health and well-being, loss of habitat and so much more. If amenity is what NIMBY’s want, that can be done, but if they object to a railway whilst entertaining a status quo of roads like A508, M1, A14, A428 and more, then we must challenge whether that is a truly ‘green’ mentality or head-in-the-sand blinkeredness? 

14-03-2023 Coverage: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-64936990.amp and https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/campaigners-call-reopen-old-railway-8246598

I attach our latest press release from last Saturday's meeting in Market Harborough where some 30 people filled a room to explore and discuss prospects for reopening a Northampton-Market Harborough rail link with greater choice and connectivity in prospect if such were to happen any time soon.

More substantive notes are available via richard.erta@gmail.com

I stress that ERTA is about planting ideas. We are a modest sized voluntary association. We want professionals, MP's and Councils to pick up on the aspiration and work with us to court the funding for studies to make or break the case and find solutions to problems on the back of the benefits such a rail link may provide.

Please give ERTA your support. Join us in membership, offer to help and promote a worthy cause. Thank you.

Get our trains back on the Bedford-Bletchley shuttle service!

12-13-04-2023 Update Press Release:

27-02-2023

Good to have a response from the DfT on Bedford-Bletchley Railway lacking rolling stock following the taking into administration the Vivarail outlet. However, the 20+ year bat and ball last paragraph is but one tension of deferment whereby Local Authorities either don't want to know or say they have no money and government slants funds to roads despite the environmental concerns and on the other hand, LEPs do they actually do anything? They may cost money, produce and trade reports, conferences and court high salaries, but what have they done to reopen local links like the Brackmills Branch in Northampton for example? It has been a slippery slope to lostness. Where is their vision for rail, where is the cutting edge rail reopenings/reinstatements agendas like Colne-Skipton or are they leading on re-railing Devon? No it is lay campaigners doing a lion's share and both Government and Government Organised, Non Government Organisations (GONGOS) seem non-plused and an array of professionals won't muck in unless there's upwards of £50k on offer or a floatilla of swathes say "no business case" or refuse to support because YOU have produced no business case, which are specialist subjects, courting complicated maths and formulas and disenfranchise the lay public (majority paying out in most cases!) and that conundrum 'system' is why nothing much is happening on local rail reinstatements. Some say "roads are cheaper and easier" without showing evidence, but then begs the question of £27 billion for new roads by Government spend and a mere £500 million for the Rail Reopenings Fund. HS2 does not come into it, it is neither a panacea or cheaper solution coming anywhere soon, rather it is an outlandish exception and arguably elephant in the proverbial 'room'. ERTA wants to a more equitable deal and policy from Government with leadership, direction, system reform and delivery with spades on the ground in mind for local rail projects, reopenings and reinstatements to be brought to the fore. Please write/email to your local MP and give us your support. Thank you.

re: https://railfuture.org.uk/Press-release-16th-February-2023

We are fully behind the bid to restore the local shuttle rail service and hope resolution may be found soon. GWR have acquired some part of Vivarail apparently, so what will come of it is unsure. However, a train is a train at the end of the day and as long as it is reliable, should be much preferred to a bus substitute which gets caught in congestion!

There needs to be a greater discussion, involvement and plan for the shuttle service by rail and re-visit what a new station at the Retail Park Kempston can offer to pep off peak usership benefitting rail and Retail Park. Likewise, a Sunday service and continued exploration of Sunday and Bank Holiday reversal out of Platform 5 to link with MK Central Station (£20 million track works done and nil usage by the trains as 'wrong type' for required acceleration and speed, but also track capacity issues prohibit week day use).

East-West Rail will only call at select few stations, but as the press report says, the shuttle remains a life-line to many smaller outlets and again, speed is not necessarily the only consideration or the main consideration, getting our trains back and a service well maintained, reliable and regular with toilet on board is what matters.

This rail link goes to the heart of public service and why we need them. Everyone has cars these days we are told, but that results in congestion, emissions more and pollution harming public well-being. We need to let the train take the strain more. That means investment and understanding with appreciation of what a public transport service ethos means. If people put their jobs on the line by choosing local rail, it needs to be reliable to bring them home safely. If they can't get to work because of a plethora of reasons, that breaks reliability and people could lose money or even their jobs. Government has a pivotal role to play and must not commodify everything and think 'market is all, unless it is financially profitable, we prune it' when transport is essential for life engagement on a daily basis for many.

Addendum article: https://news.gwr.com/news/fast-charging-battery-trial-to-resume-after-gwr-agrees-deal-to-purchase-vivarail-assets

https://railfuture.org.uk/Press-release-16th-February-2023

Report available by email 'free' as a pdf via requests to richard.erta@gmail.com

Below, typical jam-packed car park at Retail Park Kempston... ERTA believes a new station on the Bedford-Bletchley Railway adjacent to it with a connecting footbridge would be just the ticket for more and less congestion to boot!

 

ERTA Ampthill-Flitwick Transport Forum Minutes - all welcome to get involved!

30th March 2023

It is with regret that due to a lack of public engagement and support and the adamance and vehemence of the opposition to the station proposal at Ampthill by members of the town council, that we have reluctantly decided to shelve this project until further notice. It need not stop others making the case and post local elections trying again. But the July meeting has been cancelled and unless we get more support in local interest, membership and engagement volunteering (chicken and egg) we have many other projects nationwide requiring our attention, time and limited resources.

Any offers to take an interest, be a team player, join ERTA via:

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

Minutes of the ERTA Ampthill-Flitwick Transport Forum ERTA Ampthill-Flitwick Transport Forum, ~Seeking an Ampthill Parkway Station and associated issues. ~ Saturday 11th February 2023 Venue: The Swan Pub, 1 Dunstable Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire, MK45 1HP T: 01525 754777 E: steph@theswanflitwick.co.uk https://www.swaninnflitwick.co.uk/
 
Present: Simon Barber, Brian Brennan, Colin Crawford, David Ferguson and Richard Pill
 
1.      Appointment of a chair for the meeting (must be an ERTA Member): Colin Crawford
2.      Apologies for absence: Cllr Jake Bishop, Mark Bell, Cllr James Gleave, Jodie Irwin of Central Beds Council Strategic Transport Officer and Leonard Lean.
3.      Review of where things are at transport-wise in the Ampthill-Flitwick local areas:
a.      Ampthill Town Council state they are against the station idea and will oppose it.
b.     The meeting was unclear as to what their real objections are and would welcome a crystal clarification and the rationale/reasons behind such a view.
c.      We would welcome them and Central Beds Council to be represented at the meeting with others inc. Centre Parcs.
d.     A study could include objections but also establish the case and balance the two sides.
e.      It was agreed to pioneer the meeting and continue to invite players to it as well as any public interest.
f.       We should and need to have a Zoom facilitator for such meetings as well for small specific discussions as well as wider ‘open to all’ meetings. It would enable a more informed meeting in future feeding into the physical forum.
g.      Colin to contact Cllr Jake Bishop to get a fuller picture, Richard to furnish Colin with his details.
h.     Simon to give Jodie Irwin’s details to Colin to try and follow her up to see what may be common ground.
i. The meeting was reminded of Flitwick’s situation of too much traffic and increasingly so and that the station just happens to be adjacent to Ampthill, but in sum, it covers a scope and spectrum of upwards of 70, 000 population shared with Flitwick (35, 000 a-piece. For example, there’s the immediate growing cluster of Ampthill and Flitwick, then there’s A507 corridor off M1/East Milton Keynes for direct to airports, Eurostar and City (employment) as well as leisure line preferences. Then there’s the Woburn-Wrest Park arc with A507 as heavily used road-way. Then there’s south of Wixams and the Marston Vale wanting a north-south rail portal. Can Flitwick cope with all this, let alone 10 years of solid development and associated 2.5 cars per household averages?
4.      Introduction to the idea of an Ampthill Parkway Railway Station: Known basics.
5.      The way forward:
a.      Appeal to join ERTA and patronise the sales stall
b.     Please help grow the forum and encourage support
c.      Any offers to pursue the courting of funding for a study
d.     Volunteers needed with local knowledge, daily experiences and willing to lobby councillors to give interest and support – town, village councils and Central Beds Unitary Council.
e.      Land use a key element, development pressures abound, so we have a window, but 10 years of dithering it can be lost.
f.       People tend to drive south to commute to London, so Wixams deals with North of Bedford and South Bedford, but Ampthill would alleviate Flitwick and cater for a much wider area between M1 and A6 for example via A507 – a busy corridor.
g.      ERTA needs more people, members, sponsorship and locals sharing the project, buying into it and shouldering some responsibility
h.     Brian Brennan said he wanted to pursue the car park idea. He showed (see appendix 1) a diagram of his land off Fordfield Road. South of which may be developed otherly (houses) feeding traffic into Froghall Road. 
i.        Time is running out, we need someone to spearhead and get to it/inform and grow a team. A designated ERTA Rep for it. Simon to talk to the university, colleges and volunteer bureaus (Bedford, Luton, Milton Keynes for example). There was caution on Bedford Voluntary Bureau as they have not produced much in the way of volunteers for many years for us.
j.        Brian to get some market research done and do his bit to promote the cause and feed into the meeting keen and willing people. He mentioned IPROS MORI and a Mr Mark Bell.
6.      Any Other Business: None except any funding or donations to the ERTA flyer and offers to help distribute are welcome to entertain. Colin to contact Cllr Mark Smith to try and win him over. Richard to furnish him with Mark’s details.
7.      Day, Date, Time and Place of next Meeting – suggest a Saturday in early July. Confirmed as Saturday 15^th July 1pm food, 2pm business – same venue.

Model local station design on the slow lines? https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/council-confirms-wixams-station-is-priority-of-its-rail-strategy-plans/

For pdf minutes, more detail or enquiries or indeed, offers to help and work with us (it is all voluntary) is welcome to entertain via richard.erta@gmail.com T. 01234 330090

Great Central Corridor - Food for thought - support needed please.

Title of Project – can be re-shaped

Title of officership: Project Coordinator

Goal: The re-railing of the former Great Central Corridor from Calvert to Narborough. This a new-build to 21^st Century standards for passenger and freight. This will require new-build rails.

From Leicester going south we need to check:

1.             Check where the old GC used to cross the Leicester-Nuneaton existing lines at Narborough area. Is there enough land to enable a ground level connection or is it developed over?

2.             Is the route of GC free from obstruction to Lutterworth or blocked? If so what blockages/who owns it/name of company/individual.

3.             Is there adjacent land to the blockage which may inform a deviation?

4.             Talk to Lutterworth Town Council/ask for permission to inspect the old station site. Can it be used or is a new station required?

5.             South of Lutterworth is more complicated. Old GC trackbed – it is available? What blocks it and what is missing? Likewise serving Magna Park with rail, a study is needed on best options and then:

6.             You need to court local council support to the IDEA of a rebuilt or new-built railway corridor. They in turn could contact landowners and other developers like Gazeleys (developers of Magna Park) to contribute to a study for a new railway.

7.             Rugby. A study is needed to:

a.              Can an access to existing Rugby West Coast Main Line (WCML) Station be done/is it feasible and within or without what parameters/break down the objections and opportunities.

b.             If coming across WCML by a new GC flyover/bridge and reopening Rugby Central as a second Parkway Station for the town going towards Brackley, Aylesbury and Oxford respectively and vice versa to Rugby.

c.              Orbitals of Rugby: a study is needed for example, south of Lutterworth alongside the M1, serving DIRFT (Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal) and south and west to the former GC corridor more or less. Could such a new link orbit south and east of Rugby built area and serve via a new station Barby and Willoughby areas (growth areas).

8.             Woodford Halse a problem area, needs either compulsory purchase and relocation (extremely unpopular!) or a new alignment (expensive). If it were HS2 they would just plough through, deviate or tunnel! All rail projects are equal, some more than others it seems!

9.             Brackley East – new-build deviation with station along the A43 roundabout area for road-rail connectivity as a Parkway Station with a 10-mile catchment including the town of Brackley which is growing.

10.        South of Brackley East is new build to join with a western curve, the Oxford-Milton Keynes East-West Rail for wider linkages to Oxford, Bristol and Southampton for example. It would also have a new rail direct link to the proposed Milton Keynes-Aylesbury curve (former Claydon Junction knocked out by HS2) for Aylesbury, Old Oak Common (needs new Chiltern served bays) and the proposed through tunnel (new) to link with (proposed) Southern Heathrow Rail Link for direct access (new east curve for Waterloo direction) and west via Woking to Guildford for Portsmouth, Redhill and if we get out way via Horsham/Shoreham to Brighton and Chichester for example/South Coast. These audiences to the GC corridor new-build.

11.        Let me be clear, we’re talking of £billions, say 1 mile of double track is £20 million per mile. It is a major project and goal which requires professional buy-in, adoption and taking all the way as did HS2 to Government adoption, support and third-party funding.

12.        Case studies should examine technicalities, feasibilities, engineering ‘can-do’ and where pinch points arise beit Narborough, Lutterworth, Rugby, Woodford Halse, East Brackley, Claydon area linkages and so forth, to come up with solutions, options and choices.

13.        Once the case is made and the benefits direct and indirect formally appraised and evaluated from local to regional to national in scope, then the position may be more favourable to recovery and can-do. See No. 11 as a key coalition build goal to strive for.

14.        You could break it down to segments like:

a.      Capacity through Leicester (reopen Melton Mowbray-Nottingham direct for example)

b.     Leicester-Narborough

c.      Narborough Junction

d.     Narborough-Lutterworth/Magna-Rugby

e.      Orbitals for Rugby and new routes/alignments

f.       South of Rugby

g.      Brackley East (lollipop rail-head which could, if delivered serve Silverstone and feed connecting buses, helping sustain the public transport choice network more.

h.     Claydon Connectivity

i.        South of Claydon-Grendon and OOC

j.        OOC adequacy, capacity and tunnelling options

k.      Heathrow Southern Rail – getting a broader vision and coalition on board

l.        Guildford

m.   Guildford-Cranleigh area, Horsham and direct line to Shoreham for South Coast east and west.

n.     Reading-Brighton arc.

15.        It needs a lead-volunteer and a team of volunteers coordinated working together. They need to be people committed to able-bodied action, who say what they do and do what they say in a timely manner.

All offers via richard.erta@gmail.com or Kuljit Maan kuljitmaan74@gmail.com

16.         If we don’t act now, development is blinkered beyond own balance lines and councils complicit in such blinkeredness, it like other options will be lost within 5-10 years beyond recovery. Even now it is an 11^th hour. Be clear, this is a new railway to 21^st C designs for freight and passenger use, capacity and trying to decongest M1 and other roads. Development through these corridors is unsustainable without it, as all associated vehicles – passenger or business, goes by road as a norm, compounding an environmental problem of some magnitude nationwide and as of model, completely the wrong way.

“And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible. We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.  “

Secretary-General's remarks to High-Level opening of COP27, 07 November 2022.

Ref: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2022-11-07/secretary-generals-remarks-high-level-opening-of-cop27

There are many climate change deniers, maybe not vocally, but quasi-religious ignorance, rooted in beliefs or indeed, unbelief (!) and many who dissent from denialism, find they are locked into a system which favours roads, traffic and congestion.

The closures of most local railways including the Great Central happened best part of 60 years ago, decades of abandonment, neglect, other agendas, uses and entrenched lifestyle otherliness/indifference and so salvage what you may, but see opportunity for new creation and also pragmatic what gives, what takes is ‘it’ in a new rail term.

17.         A new railway presents new on and off the rail’s opportunities.

a.      Footfall and spend/new flows of business, income and employment direct/indirect and associated supply chains

b.     Cleaner traffic reduction context of life and purpose

c.      More freight by rail, less congestion, less accidents, quicker end-to-end timings

d.     Could design, if national goals wanted Piggyback and roll-on, roll-off facilitations e.g., Lutterworth-West London (Lutterworth area is where M1, A14 and M6 meet but has no rail whatsoever!).

e.      More seats as ‘not via London or Birmingham’ for North-West-South-West rail-based travel shaves time and cost and frees up other tracks and main place stations for other growth and business.

f.       Cleaner air, less litter and more opportunities for creating wildlife habitats/ecology as well as saving land for farming, conservation, housing and employment sustainably.

18.        See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transport-business-case/transport-business-case-guidance Gov.UK        Department for Transport

If you have the time and tenacity to wade through all the bits, pieces and giblets of all the considerations, caveats and minutiae here, we’d welcome your kind offer of help with open arms! There’s always the kybosh that Government Elected/treasury turns round and says “great idea but no money” and so having a strong coalition of support at all levels and third-party funding like developers sponsoring costs, contributing and professional leadership is crucial to court and maintain all the way along the corridor as well as trying to court and reach out to NIMBYs – there always will be – and win over where can do/invite helpers to find alternatives without bumping into other vested interests. Good luck, as in this game, it is exactly imprecise and un-guaranteed to win or find fortune, but in the scheme of things, every reason to bother. Again, ability to build teams of people and assign to reliable people chunks to focus on and then round-table to measure progress, identify challenges and prioritise are skills which come from know-how, but experience can also be telling.

R. B. Pill, ERTA Secretary 13-02-2023

Speaker will be announced at the Market Harborough meeting + a mini book stall with back nos of magazines and booklets to do with transport.

All enquiries and offers via richard.erta@gmail.com / T. 01234 330090