Historic rail line reopening may get Government boost

£500m fund to help resote axed routes

MOVES to reopen the Leicester-to-Burton railway line to passengers could be boosted as part of a multi-million pound Government pledge.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has launched a £500 million fund to help restore historic lines slashed during the Beeching cuts.

The Ivanhoe Line, running from Leicester to Burton through North Leicestershire, including Coalville, has been shut to passengers since 1964.

It was closed as part of the Beeching cuts, which saw thousands of stations close and hundreds of branch lines cut by Dr Richard Beeching, who was recruited by the Government to make railways profitable again.

Now, the new Government pot will fund feasibility studies for historic routes that could potentially be restored. Bosses at a pressure group pushing for the Ivanhoe Line to reopen say they expect to receive a share of the pot.

The Campaign to Reopen the Ivanhoe Line Group (CRIL) has been pushing for the line to reopen since January 2019.

Chairman Geoff Bushell said: “We are one of the strongest cases among the ‘Beeching’ lines, having not one, but two of the largest towns in the country on a railway line, but without a rail service. Therefore, we would expect to receive our share of this funding.

“I’ll be approaching the powers that be to find out more about this process.”

When asked about the chances of the line receiving investment, a spokesman from the department of transport said: “The transport secretary has invited MPs, local authorities and community groups across England to come forward with proposals on how they could use funding to reinstate axed local services.

“£300,000 has been committed to an ‘ideas fund’ to kick start the process. The £500 million fund will help develop these proposals and accelerate the delivery of schemes that are already being considered for restoration, making possible the rapid reopening of certain stations and lines.”