Restoring your Railway Fund Update

[Nicholas Lewis]

This should probably go somewhere else om existing thread but they were locked. Anyhow DfT have put out an overview of the status of all the projects submitted to the fund (why its on a saturday morning is odd or maybe nothing they want to brag about). In it they refer to another 9 schemes receiving funding in June 22 how much and which isn't obvious.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-your-railway-fund-programme-update

Two years on, this update provides an overview of all the schemes in the programme, their progress, and the approaches being taken to develop rail schemes and reconnect communities. It includes all the schemes funded through Restoring Your Railway, including the 9 schemes announced as receiving further funding in June 2022. Schemes are listed by their stage in the programme as follows – Schemes Developing to SOBC; Schemes Progressing Past SOBC; Schemes Being Delivered; Schemes Not Progressing to Delivery Under RYR; Unsuccessful Bids to the Ideas Fund

 

[Snow1964]

There is another document uploaded today (18th June) on DfT website which lists the 9 schemes receiving funding

Haven’t found anything with amounts awarded to each scheme

The 9 schemes receiving funding are:

• Aldridge station and line upgrade in Walsall
• The Barrow Hill Line between Sheffield and Chesterfield
• The Ivanhoe Line between Leicester and Burton on Trent
• Meir Station between Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire
• Haxby Station on the York to Scarborough Line
• Reinstating the Fleetwood Railway Line
• Ferryhill Station in County Durham
• The Mid Cornwall Metro, connecting Newquay, Truro and Falmouth
• Devizes Station between Pewsey and Westbury in Wiltshire

By funding development to reopen these lines and stations, the government is levelling up local communities, providing transformative opportunities for people to travel to work, get to school and see their family and friends.

Moving ahead to reopen railway lines and stations including one not used since reign of King George V

Funding to reopen disused railway lines, services and stations will restore community connections and improve access to jobs, homes and education.

www.gov.uk

 

[Class360/1]

Great that the Northumberland line is making progress. Just no investment is going to the East of England (in general)

 

[30907]

Great that the Northumberland line is making progress. Just no investment is going to the East of England.

Anywhere in particular in mind? Bricket Wood was the only proposal that got past round 1....
And Soham is already open.

 

[Class360/1]

Anywhere in particular in mind? Bricket Wood was the only proposal that got past round 1....

Nowhere in mind; just in general

 

[fgwrich]

Good to see MetroWest / Portishead hasn't been forgotten about!

But I'm still puzzled by the Mid Cornwall Metro proposal though, Is a through service from Falmouth to Newquay via Truro / St Austell & Par really going to be effective - unless you consider re-opening the route through St Dennis and Parkndillack? Either way it will entail both a reversal and a stretch on the mainline.

Also, the Unsuccessful Bids is quite brutal this time, with a number of proposals in the South West turned down - Possibly the biggest loser this time? One did catch my eye though, as a local to this area, can anyone tell me what the "To unlock capacity and services through Bramley (Hants)" idea was about please?

 

[jonesy3001]

Would the fleetwood line be reconnected to the blackpool line and be double or single track?

 

[61058]

I didn't realise that Network Rail were doing a study to re-instate Firsby to Louth with a connection to Mablethorpe.
There doesn't seem to be any information about this in the public domain.

 

[DarloRich]

Ferryhill station is a political boondoggle - note the recent question at pmq.

This whole scheme is bobbins. Pick the 3 best schemes and build them rather than waste the money trying to buy pr and votes

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

There is another document uploaded today (18th June) on DfT website which lists the 9 schemes receiving funding

Haven’t found anything with amounts awarded to each scheme

Moving ahead to reopen railway lines and stations including one not used since reign of King George V

Funding to reopen disused railway lines, services and stations will restore community connections and improve access to jobs, homes and education.

www.gov.uk

The total awarded is £15m which i guess to develop these schemes further

Rail Minister Wendy Morton has announced a further £15 million in funding to develop 9 Restoring Your Railway schemes across England to reopen disused railway lines, services and stations, including some that were axed in the 1950s and 60s – with one station taken out of use as far back as 1930, Haxby Station on the York to Scarborough Line.

 

[thenorthern]

The lines chosen aren't really a surprise as there is a lot of politics in play here.

• With the Aldridge line it passes through Walsall North which went Conservative in 2017.
• With the Barrow Hill Line it passes through North East Derbyshire and Bolsover which were gained by the Conservatives in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
• The Ivanhoe Line passes through Burton, South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire which are all currently Conservative held but were Labour during the Blair years.
• Meir is in Stoke-on-Trent south which was gained by the Conservatives in 2017.
• Fleetwood is in Lancaster and Fleetwood which was Conservative until 2015 although winnable.
• Ferryhill is in Sedgefield which of course is Tony Blair's former seat and went Conservative in 2019.

Meir in particular is an interesting one as since 2000 the Stoke-on-Trent area has lost 3 stations (Wedgwood, Barlaston and Etruria) and Longport has less trains calling at it than it did in 2000. The Conservatives will want to show they are actually going to do something about the railways in the city.

 

[class26]

I didn't realise that Network Rail were doing a study to re-instate Firsby to Louth with a connection to Mablethorpe.
There doesn't seem to be any information about this in the public domain.

All to do with a proposed nuclear processing site outside Mablethorpe

 

[The Planner]

Would the fleetwood line be reconnected to the blackpool line and be double or single track?

I doubt anyone knows yet, depends on a level of service but I doubt it would be twin track.

 

[A S Leib]

Great that the Northumberland line is making progress. Just no investment is going to the East of England (in general)

Isn't Bedford to Cambridge still supposed to be going ahead?

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

But I'm still puzzled by the Mid Cornwall Metro proposal though, Is a through service from Falmouth to Newquay via Truro / St Austell & Par really going to be effective - unless you consider re-opening the route through St Dennis and Parkndillack? Either way it will entail both a reversal and a stretch on the mainline.

It is nearly 40 miles Newquay to Truro by rail via Par, yet Mr. Google tells me it 13.2 miles (26mins) by car. I believe the proposal involves reinstating the second platform at Newquay and the passing loop at Goss Moor (ripped out in the 1980s) plus upgrading level crossings. This is welcome if XC can be bothered to serve the resort again, but it is difficult to see how it can be competitive for local journeys. The main flows from Newquay are to Truro and St Austell (both served by direct buses). Maybe its all about the threat of a LD revival in Cornwall?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Would the fleetwood line be reconnected to the blackpool line and be double or single track?

I doubt anyone knows yet, depends on a level of service but I doubt it would be twin track.

Indeed. Reopen as single connecting to Blackpool line at Poulton le Fylde is my best guess and if it does well, double at a later date.

 

[Codville]

Indeed. Reopen as single connecting to Blackpool line at Poulton le Fylde is my best guess and if it does well, double at a later date.

The feasibility study suggested a single line with two platforms at the Fleetwood end.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The feasibility study suggested a single line with two platforms at the Fleetwood end.

That makes sense

 

[CptCharlee]

I'm glad Plymouth to Tavistock is progressing to a SOBC.

I can see a lot of schemes getting dropped after the SOBC stage citing problems being identify that stops the scheme from progressing.

They need to just pick the top schemes and fund them. Too many ideas screams political pandering to win votes in marginal areas.

 

[Irascible]

It is nearly 40 miles Newquay to Truro by rail via Par, yet Mr. Google tells me it 13.2 miles (26mins) by car. I believe the proposal involves reinstating the second platform at Newquay and the passing loop at Goss Moor (ripped out in the 1980s) plus upgrading level crossings. This is welcome if XC can be bothered to serve the resort again, but it is difficult to see how it can be competitive for local journeys. The main flows from Newquay are to Truro and St Austell (both served by direct buses). Maybe its all about the threat of a LD revival in Cornwall?

Must admit I can't make my head round that one either. Does it save a unit somewhere?

Even if you reopened the west route out of Newquay I can't see it beating the bus. At least the current line is handy for through services.

 

[fgwrich]

Must admit I can't make my head round that one either. Does it save a unit somewhere?

Even if you reopened the west route out of Newquay I can't see it beating the bus. At least the current line is handy for through services.

Not really - Par > Newquay uses at least one 150 while Truro > Falmouth uses 2 150s. Obviously the connecting services between Par > St Austell > Truro can be either a 150, 158, HST, IET or XC. You'd require at least 3 to 4 units, but given that Truro > Falmouth is a frequent half hourly service, vs Par > Newquay's every 2 hours, it is hard to see how a through service can provide a benefit to one without providing a cut to the other.

And it'll still involve a reverse - be it at Par or St Austell (if the slightly faster St Dennis route ever comes back).

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Well, it would appear a falsehood is being presented to the long suffering public.

The document linked to above "Restoring Your Railway Fund Programme Update" states 13 schemes were approved under Round 3. This agrees with the spreadsheet previously issued by the DfT. The table in the document lists 14 schemes under Round 3 at SOBC [Strategic Outline Business Case] stage. The late arrival being Mablethorpe and Firsby.

How interesting.

'Mablethorpe' and 'Firsby-Louth' were two unsuccessful bids submitted under Round 3.

----------
UPDATE Monday 20 June
On closer inspection:
The document has numerous errors, minor perhaps but errors all the same. That is how corruption starts - issue a list of schemes, everyone thinks they know where they stand, then add and delete as you please afterwards.

One scheme previously rejected now appears to have been approved - 'Mablethorpe and Firsby'.
Two schemes are shown as coming forward both through the 'ideas fund' and through 'advanced prior to Restoring Your Railway'.
Five, possibly six or seven schemes submitted to more than one round are incorrectly linked/not linked.
Three schemes are entirley wiped from history, Stalin like!

The ongoing saga of the name for 'that station near Bristol' continues: Parkway Portway Ride and Park?

 

[Bald Rick]

Would the fleetwood line be reconnected to the blackpool line and be double or single track?

I doubt anyone knows yet, depends on a level of service but I doubt it would be twin track.

more likely nil track.

 

[Sox]

Update re the Fleetwood reinstatement

 

[DarloRich]

The lines chosen aren't really a surprise as there is a lot of politics in play here.

• With the Aldridge line it passes through Walsall North which went Conservative in 2017.
• With the Barrow Hill Line it passes through North East Derbyshire and Bolsover which were gained by the Conservatives in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
• The Ivanhoe Line passes through Burton, South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire which are all currently Conservative held but were Labour during the Blair years.
• Meir is in Stoke-on-Trent south which was gained by the Conservatives in 2017.
• Fleetwood is in Lancaster and Fleetwood which was Conservative until 2015 although winnable.
• Ferryhill is in Sedgefield which of course is Tony Blair's former seat and went Conservative in 2019.

Meir in particular is an interesting one as since 2000 the Stoke-on-Trent area has lost 3 stations (Wedgwood, Barlaston and Etruria) and Longport has less trains calling at it than it did in 2000. The Conservatives will want to show they are actually going to do something about the railways in the city.

Colour me surprised! All in new Tory seats. never. Who knew?

 

[uglymonkey]

I hope it pushes Tavistock further forward ( at least better than Portishead) which seems to have been going on forever

 

[Bald Rick]

I hope it pushes Tavistock further forward ( at least better than Portishead) which seems to have been going on forever

Tavistock is in its initial business case phase, and is not changed by this announcement.

 

[uglymonkey]

Ok Thanks

 

[thenorthern]

Colour me surprised! All in new Tory seats. never. Who knew?

The definition of a marginal has changed very much recently, Stoke-on-Trent had been Labour since 1935 and as a result received very little funding for transport compared to other cities/urban areas of a similar size. That and the fact that the federal makeup of Stoke-on-Trent City Council makes it difficult to govern.

Now that Stoke-on-Trent is a marginal it will get very interesting not just for Stoke-on-Trent but all of Staffordshire.

 

[class26]

Colour me surprised! All in new Tory seats. never. Who knew?

I didn`t notice the labour party rushing to reopen lines / stations in constituencies of any colour