East Lancashire MP in call to reopen Colne to Skipton rail line

11:55am Friday 7th September 2012 in News

PENDLE MP Andrew Stephenson has made a Westminster call for government action to reopen the Colne to Skipton rail line.

The Tory backbencher has put down a Commons motion on the issue.

It reads: “I congratulate Skipton East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) on its ongoing campaign to reopen the Skipton to Colne line.

“I welcome this government’s commitment to investing in transport infrastructure especially in the North West such as the Todmorden Curve.

“I note that 17,000 residents in Pendle have no access to rail facilities, that because of poor transport options 148 of the 279 most deprived wards nationwide are along the line of the railway between Shipley, Skipton and Blackburn, and that rail journey times from Colne to Liverpool or Leeds are an hour longer and to Manchester 45 minutes longer than in 1950.

“I encourage the Secretary of State for Transport to support SELRAP's campaign to reopen the Skipton to Colne line.”

Comments(6)

HairyBowls says...
12:11pm Fri 7 Sep 12

There are machines out there that can lay track, providing the foundation work is done first, using a system of constant welded rail, in excess of 10 miles PER DAY! Only the uk can stretch out such a task to take years and years, meetings, consultations, planning exercises and financial requests and extortionate costings (80 million???? For 12 miles of track? ) Tax payers cash is getting creamed! And before people start spouting about bridges zapping all the funds..,Nonsense.

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Darren1951 says...
12:46pm Fri 7 Sep 12

Interesting, isn't it, that they didn't seem to have any trouble finding over £370M to build the Hindhead Tunnel on the A3 in Surrey, which opened last year?

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Reality50 says...
1:58pm Fri 7 Sep 12

Sooner it is reopened the better.

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Reality50 says...
2:00pm Fri 7 Sep 12

Reopen the Woodhead line from Manchester to Barnsley too.

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Noiticer says...
5:28pm Fri 7 Sep 12

I only hope the link is restored but the current omens are not good with layers of bureaucracy and financial payments necessary before so much as a sleeper is laid. It is essential to keep up the pressure on Government though.

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Marsdogs says...
11:55pm Fri 7 Sep 12

Good on you, Andrew.

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