Transport Secretary to announce study into re-opening of line between Skipton and Lancashire

[AmateurRambler]

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/our...line-between-skipton-and-lancashire-1-8998327

A study into the potential re-opening of a historic rail link between Skipton and Lancashire is expected to be announced by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling tomorrow.
Mr Grayling is set to visit the Lancashire town of Colne in the morning to announce a feasibility study into the value of bringing the 11-and-a-half mile Skipton-Colne line back into use.
The route, which opened in October 1848, has been the subject of years of determined 
efforts to bring it back into use since being closed in February 1970.
As well as making it much harder for people in Lancashire to reach Skipton for work, and vice versa, the lack of a rail link between the two nearby towns is said to limit the vital East-West transport connections the North needs to thrive.
Representatives from Drax and Skipton Building Society were both at a recent meeting in Westminster which was seen by campaigners as a turning point in their fight to re-open the line....

 

[55018ballymoss]

Yet more paper shuffling trying to make the transport minister and his department look good but no actual work being done.
This is a real shame, but so long as there is no new money for rail expansion from the government then we will just have more of these announcements and no more.
It is a case of kicking the ball into the long grass until either the money becomes available or the campaigners give up...

 

[pemma]

That's exactly what Paul Maynard promised for the Middlewich branch before he was moved in a reshuffle. I wonder how many disused and freight only lines have been promised the same thing.

 

[DarloRich]

That's exactly what Paul Maynard promised for the Middlewich branch before he was moved in a reshuffle. I wonder how many disused and freight only lines have been promised the same thing.

loads - it is a standard do nothing by doing something ploy by the government

 

[matrix24]

The bus service was lost between the two along the road corridor. How can this jusifly a rail link?? Even freight will struggle to support such a link. Hope to be proved wrong though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If you wanted a link from Lancashire to that part of Yorkshire, would not extending the Ribble Valley services from Clitheroe to Hellifield make more sense, as the track is already there? (I was surprised to note, using the "Ribble Valley Rambler"[1] at the weekend, that the track is now high quality CWR rather than knackered bullhead like it used to be - I guess that was done for the benefit of freight).

[1] A kind of truncated winter DalesRail service. FWIW there was a nice bit of co-ordinated connection timing going on at Hellifield - the Carlisle-Leeds train connected well with both this and the Lancaster train despite the low frequency on all of them - very much to be congratulated!

 

[John S2]

More than one study into the reopening of Colne-Skipton has already been carried out. If Mr Grayling was serious about reopening this stretch of line, or numerous others around the country, there would be action and financial commitment instead of yet another report.

 

[snowball]

If you wanted a link from Lancashire to that part of Yorkshire, would not extending the Ribble Valley services from Clitheroe to Hellifield make more sense, as the track is already there?

Maybe that would be a good thing in itself, to provide better links between Manchester, Lancashire and the Settle&Carlisle, but it's heading away from the populated areas of Yorkshire and so would not serve the purposes of reopening Colne - Skipton. Or if you did it for freight, it would have to reverse at Hellifield, or require a long new curve there.

 

[Kite159]

Governments of all the colours love a good committee to "look into it". Chances are nothing will come off it other than "a poor business case"

 

[pemma]

Governments of all the colours love a good committee to "look into it". Chances are nothing will come off it other than "a poor business case"

And if it's a good business case then come up with an excuse as to why nothing can be done until after the next election.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Dare I say it (runs for cover) - Carmarthen - Aberystwyth ? , in other words let us call for another study.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The bus service was lost between the two along the road corridor. How can this jusifly a rail link??

Was it? Transdev run 2 buses an hour from Skipton all the way through to Manchester. Can't be that short of business.

If you wanted a link from Lancashire to that part of Yorkshire, would not extending the Ribble Valley services from Clitheroe to Hellifield make more sens

In the short term, yes. It'd be a good way to get through trains from the Aire Valley through to Manchester.

But the real local traffic is from Skipton through to Burnley, Barnoldswick and Colne, rather than to Clitheroe and Blackburn. The A56 and A6068 are both traffic jams for big chunks of the day.

 

[backontrack]

I don't expect anything to come of this - a 'study' is classic Tory government talk - but I still welcome this development. I wonder what alignment the new railway would take if it were reopened - through Earby or Barnoldswick?

Services would probably be an extension of the Blackpool-Colne trains.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I like the idea of reopening that bit of line (subject to the proviso that there are probably many places in the country that would have far better business cases). But I can't help thinking that a basic hourly service isn't going to offer enough flexibility to tempt many people out of cars. If money was available for more improvements around Colne, I'd have thought it'd make more sense to improve the infrastructure to allow Colne-Preston to go half-hourly, and make sure there are good reasonably well guaranteed connections at Blackburn for Manchester. Combined with the better trains that I would imagine should be coming to the route in a few years when the Pacers are withdrawn, and the (hopeful) half-hourly Blackburn-Manchester proposed service, that ought to make the railway in the area more attractive and bring sufficient new passengers that subsequent re-opening through to Skipton would start to look more useful.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I don't expect anything to come of this - a 'study' is classic Tory government talk - but I still welcome this development. I wonder what alignment the new railway would take if it were reopened - through Earby or Barnoldswick? Services would probably be an extension of the Blackpool-Colne trains.

Why didn't Labour reopen the line then in the thirteen years they had in government?

Its a genuine question.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Why didn't Labour reopen the line then in the thirteen years they had in government?

Its a genuine question.

The same reason they criticized electrification pausing etc when they managed 10 miles of electrification when they were in office. Politics pure politics and sadly railways seem to bear the brunt. Glad it is a devolved matter in Scotland

 

[pemma]

The same reason they criticized electrification pausing etc when they managed 10 miles of electrification when they were in office. Politics pure politics and sadly railways seem to bear the brunt. Glad it is a devolved matter in Scotland

Given Grayling seems to have given up on trying to deliver new schemes proposed by McLoughlin and they are still delivering schemes put in to place by the last Labour government, maybe implementing a new electrification scheme in a single government term is impossible?

 

[Train jaune]

For any spare cash for rail re-opening that can be found down the back of the Government sofa i'd think there are a lot more deserving routes to be reopened first

 

[Wirewiper]

There must be key marginals in the local elections this May then ....

 

[GRALISTAIR]

There are so many competing requirements for available money. New stations, new lines, reopenings, Electrification etc. I suppose we all have our biases but to get back On Topic, my personal view is that this scheme would be lower down the priority list.

Also imho on topic, I have no problem with studies - call it GRIP 0 if you like - so many cases throughout the country. Do studies for them all then make the decision based on BCR and PVR ( potential votes ratio) - tongue only slightly in cheek

 

[Train jaune]

The council elections in Pendle were in 2016 (21 Con, 17 Lab & 10 LibDem) It's a borough were everything is up for grabs politically

 

[urbophile]

I wonder what alignment the new railway would take if it were reopened - through Earby or Barnoldswick?

Bring back the Barlick Spud!

 

[backontrack]

Bring back the Barlick Spud!

Yes! Bring back this classic Yorkshire train service!

I know what I said.

 

[xotGD]

The line only makes sense if it results in a direct service to Manchester. If Skipton to Manchester remains quicker via Leeds then the line would only attract short distance passengers, and I can't see that being enough, and a wasted opportunity.

 

[AndrewE]

But I can't help thinking that a basic hourly service isn't going to offer enough flexibility to tempt many people out of cars. If money was available for more improvements around Colne, I'd have thought it'd make more sense to improve the infrastructure to allow Colne-Preston to go half-hourly, .

The line only makes sense if it results in a direct service to Manchester. If Skipton to Manchester remains quicker via Leeds then the line would only attract short distance passengers, and I can't see that being enough, and a wasted opportunity.

My reaction is that an all-stations service extended to or via Skipton isn't going to get the best return for the investment, as the through service will be far too slow to attract many punters.
What we need to recognise (for most through lines, not just this one) is that there is a need for both stoppers and semi-fast trains. Maybe not for poorly-used dead-end branch lines, but when regional metros get overcrowded a step-change to something better is needed.
There should be a nationally recognised principle that if a transport corridor can justify a train service then longer-distance travellers need to be catered for - and attracted out of their cars. A Taktfahrplan in fact, with an even level of provision around the country, not just better services in a few Metro areas and Greater London.

 

[Bwlch y Groes]

I think the way this would work best is if it was tied into electrification of Preston-Colne and Leeds-York so that we could have a Blackpool-York electric service. Would probably be faster than the current route even if it is a couple of miles longer

 

[furnessvale]

Over and above the passenger services, not many new reopenings could guarantee half a dozen heavy freights each way daily, co-incidentally freeing paths through one of England's largest cities at the same time.

 

[AndrewE]

I think the way this would work best is if it was tied into electrification of Preston-Colne and Leeds-York so that we could have a Blackpool-York electric service. Would probably be faster than the current route even if it is a couple of miles longer

it would still need two levels of service, semi-fasts and stoppers.

 

[InOban]

Over and above the passenger services, not many new reopenings could guarantee half a dozen heavy freights each way daily, co-incidentally freeing paths through one of England's largest cities at the same time.

The provision of an alternative freight route is the only part of this idea which lifts it above crayonista level. I know it should never have been shut, but its reinstatement will be horrendously expensive.

 

[AndrewE]

More expensive than a brand-new HS2-type line? Mind you, it's not serving London, so it will certainly be above the price that Westminster-types will think is justified. Just remind us how much Crossrail has cost?