A map would help those who aren’t knowledgeable about the area (I’d never heard of the town of Colne), particularly in terms of current rail services and how the proposed reopened line would fit in
This is a pretty one-sided piece, only one sentence on the difficulties of reopening the railway. I work near Broughton Hall, where the track bed is a road, relied on by 3 farms and the Land Rover Experience. Bridges have been removed too - big effort to restore all this.
This has all been dealt with in great detail by the professional, technical engineering, landownership and other detailed studies. More information can be found here:
This is a really good article, especially for pointing out the economic impact it could have on a far wider area than just the distance between Skipton and Colne.
I have read that consideration being given to a passenger service between Clitheroe and Hellifield/Skipton. Don't know how practical.
Would love to use the train from Clitheroe to Skipton but you can’t buy a ticket. I’m not sure if we can buy a ticket to Hellifield. The bus is only every other hour.
Living in the area this saga has been running for years and years and study after study has showed the benefits this reopening would bring,but it goes nowhere and I can’t see it happening in my lifetime!
Time to pressure our local MPs and metro mayors. And let's keep writing about why it's so important, so that the decision-makers can't keep ignoring us!
It absolutely does need reopening (even for backup/strategic reasons) - and would have been had it been down south.
Same with the Leeds/Harrogate/Ripon line. That too would work but also alleviate congestion at York station - where all east coast rail traffic has to pass through.
The closures in 1970 (Ilfracombe and Minehead were others) were mainly because the 1969 Transport Act empowered county councils to subsidise loss making lines. Some councils didn’t want to spend the cash. Saying that , it does need reopening but also electrifying at the same time 😊
Obviously the line from Preston to Colne needs electrifying at the same time.
Yes it adds cost but it’s better than farting about with hybrid or battery trains then doing it anyway in a few years time when costs have risen even more. The Blackpool South portion should be converted to light rail 😊
This would have been a priority for a Yorkshire Regional Government but not for Westminster/Whitehall. The sooner Yorkshire is allowed to run its own affairs the better.
Leeds is the largest city in Europe without a mass transit system, so that is a considerable investment needed. But I will assure you other Yorkshire towns and communities will do better with a Yorkshire government than a London administration.
Seems like a great idea, but I’ve been waiting for electrification of the Calder Valley line for over 45 years since I moved to West Yorkshire. And Northern Rail can’t even run and staff all its current trains
Yes. But it’s almost 5 years since Northern was nationalised and its services are still woeful. And it’s never recruited enough staff or even contracted enough of them to work Sundays https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvnxp2n1ndo.amp
Indeed, which casts doubt on the potential for success with other nationalisation projects. But it's almost the new year, so I'm choosing to be hopeful 👏
I don't live anywhere near here but nonetheless this idea has my wholehearted support. Of course the country needs better links between the major conurbations on the east and west, and of course it makes sense to hook up all the towns in between to maximise employment, education opportunities.
Beeching should be reversed (Tories did a Beeching with every UK state owned system), a process merely intended to increase wealth & power for Tories & their backers.
State owned systems result in profits benefitting US not the offshore billionaires picking our pockets - i.e. water companies
There is already a line between West Yorks and East Lancs. This is the problem that this reopening has always had - it will only provide marginal benefits, at substantial cost.
Does Preston - York train no longer stop at Accrington and Burnley? The article reads like there are no connections from Hyndburn and Burnley to Leeds but that route featured heavily in my days growing up there.
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A long detour via Pickering beckons.
A map would help those who aren’t knowledgeable about the area (I’d never heard of the town of Colne), particularly in terms of current rail services and how the proposed reopened line would fit in
The image below was screenshotted from the video at https://www.selrap.org.uk/blog/categories/selrap
I have read that consideration being given to a passenger service between Clitheroe and Hellifield/Skipton. Don't know how practical.
@nwbylines.bsky.social
@uk.theconversation.com
Same with the Leeds/Harrogate/Ripon line. That too would work but also alleviate congestion at York station - where all east coast rail traffic has to pass through.
Hull to Withernsea
Both long gone.
Hornsea & Withernsea have struggled ever since.
Closing Hull to York and leaving one of the worst A roads between cities won't be helpful either.
But hey. Crossrail.
Yes it adds cost but it’s better than farting about with hybrid or battery trains then doing it anyway in a few years time when costs have risen even more. The Blackpool South portion should be converted to light rail 😊
State owned systems result in profits benefitting US not the offshore billionaires picking our pockets - i.e. water companies
Cycle routes can be integrated into the national road network with minimum investment (in comparison), footways can be made into shared facilities
Canal/rail transport should be reinstated.
ie Europe