Again, that is nothing new, it is planned as a diversionary route all the time and in perturbation like occurred yesterday. I don't think that has any correlation with the requirement for a station, it certainly would't be included in the various studies that have been done.
It is vital in helping show non railway minded people (aka purse string holders, and consultation form fillers), like Borough Councillors and LEP staff (at least 20k from each just put up for the study) and the public, that this line has not just freight but passenger trains already. Not just little local trains either, massive Virgin Trains. That gets people seeing what’s possible and wanting it. So it has a direct connection with getting funding, people demanding services and also working to achieve them. Don’t forget, even on this board fairly recently (old thread) even railway people were saying ‘no chance/Meh); locals has forgotten the line was there, Knutsford, Hale, Altrincham and Northwich didn’t realise they could still go direct to Crewe, Gadbrook Park maybe hadn’t thought about having a station, the BCs and LEP weren’t pushing for reinstatement and only one MP was involved. Look at the state of play now.
Once the business case is done and people get consultated it’s vital they don’t just go ‘eh?/meh’ but fill in the form and say what they want and they’re more likely to do that now they’re consistently seeing what’s possible
Are they forgetting that certain areas of Knutsford that use to see 4 buses an hour now only see 1 and that on a Saturday, if you want to get to Manchester, you have to use the bus because the train and bus times don't meet?
