Colne to Skipton rail link bid gets national backing (From Burnley and Pendle Citizen)
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Colne to Skipton rail link bid gets national backing
12:50pm Friday 6th July 2012 in News
By Tyrone Marshall, Reporter
END OF LINE But support is growing for a line from Colne station to Skipton
AN attempt to reopen the Colne to Skipton railway line has won the backing of a national pressure group.
Campaign for Better Transport has written to Transport Secretary Justine Greening urging her to consider funding the reopening as part of the Government’s forthcoming rail investment plans.
A report, entitled Reopening Railways, said that reinstating the 11.5-mile link between the two towns could be done at a ‘relatively low cost’ and would provide economic benefits.
It proposes a number of measures to promote new or reopened lines and stations to match growing demand and help relieve rail overcrowding and road congestion.
Members of SELRAP (Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership) welcomed the group’s support.
Andy Shackleton, liaison officer, said: “This is exactly what we have been saying all along. Anything that comes along and says we backed this rail line has to be good news.
“We have said that this line would help disconnected parts of Pennine Lancashire gain access to better services.
“It would allow people in Colne to reach Skipton in 15 minutes and then use the electric service to Leeds.
“There is an economic gain to be had as well as advantages for tourism and regeneration.
“There are so many advantages to this scheme.”
The report, launched at the House of Commons yesterday, comes in the run-up to next year’s 50th anniversary of the Beeching report, which led to the closure of hundreds of railway routes.
Stephen Joseph, Campaign for Better Transport’s chief executive, said: “We believe that providing new or reinstated rail links and stations is the most cost- effective way of reducing carbon, improving quality of life for local people and helping the economy.
“That’s why we’re calling on the Government to create a ‘connecting communities’ fund which would complement the Government’s intention to devolve responsibilities for local rail services to individual councils.”
Comments(12)
Stuart Farquar
says...
2:07pm Fri 6 Jul 12
Noiticer
says...
6:17pm Fri 6 Jul 12
To the correspondent above - the Todmorden Curve will re-open in 2014
Stuart Farquar
says...
7:05pm Fri 6 Jul 12
Noiticer wrote:Ah thank you ;)
It would be great if this line was reopened and would recreate a strategic missing link in the region's rail network to the benefit of many people. Unfortunately funding is a major hurdle and whilst millions are squandered on all kinds of wasteful projects rebuilding rail routes is not high on the list of priorities as it is in Scotland and Wales. To the correspondent above - the Todmorden Curve will re-open in 2014
2 for 5p
says...
8:42pm Fri 6 Jul 12
Why was it shut in the first place: because it was unecconomical.
Now a days more people have cars: oh that means there be ev
en less people using it : that means it would be even less unecconomical.
You might as well make confetti out of money
Rappide
says...
9:33pm Fri 6 Jul 12
reasonedfactualdebate
says...
9:44pm Fri 6 Jul 12
Whether the line should even have been closed in the first place is debatable. however that was in the 1960's and this is 2012. fuel costs are very expensive which affects car travel more as it is a higher proportion of total costs. People are using rail more and cars less as an overall trend.
To get anywhere from colne means you have to use a car - you will be surprised how popular this service will be. it might be worth electrifying it also so that through trains could run which would also minimise the amount of new trains needed. trains are safer then cars and produce nuch less pollution per passenger especially with electric trains.
2 for 5p
says...
7:35am Sat 7 Jul 12
sim1846
says...
11:33am Sat 7 Jul 12
By the way if nothing is done now to get this railway reopend, in 10 years time traffic would have gone up by the 21.9% as apposed to London which will only be 4.5% and that were they are spending a lot on Public transport at the minute.
From what I understand is that their are a number of Private investors out there, that want to invest in this project, for both Passenger and freight, with two inland ports to be built one in Burnley, and the other over the border, with full electrification from Skipton North Junction to Preston.
This is one on the reasons why the next Northern Franchise needs to be at least 20 years long, not 7 years, which is what some Local agency's want, and at the same time Track and train needs to be run by one company, to reduce running cost, and get rid of the Rolling stock owning companies, which most of them are Banks, ripping the British Public off.
ROBERTSLUMDWELLER123
says...
1:42pm Sat 7 Jul 12
tourism.reasons for this line to re.open,so forget about it!!!
sim1846
says...
3:05pm Sat 7 Jul 12
ROBERTSLUMDWELLER123 wrote:Sorry mate; your wrong, it has been proven beyond doubt, in quite a few studies now, and has many backers in fact it's got a much high cost benefit ratio than the A56 Village Bypass.
there is no financial/job creation/importance/
tourism.reasons for this line to re.open,so forget about it!!!
paperboy70
says...
9:22am Thu 19 Jul 12
/Clitheroe and Hellifield too - the line is already there and its a nonsense that you can't get the train to Skipton.
Reality50 says...
1:54pm Fri 6 Jul 12