New boost for hopes of Ivanhoe railway line revival
Funds made available to look at proposal to re-open rail line
GOVERNMENT WILL HELP FUND FEASIBILITY STUDIES INTO RESTORING AXED SERVICES
THE potential reopening of the Leicester-to-Burton railway line, via Coalville and Ashby, as a passenger route has moved a step closer.
The government has announced a £500,000 fund, split 10 ways, to look at ways of restoring and reopening railway lines sacrificed in the 1960s and 1970s as part of the Beeching cuts.
The cuts saw thousands of stations close and hundreds of branch lines cut by Dr Richard Beeching, who was recruited by the then government to make railways profitable again.
The 31-mile Ivanhoe stretch is one of the routes that could be returned to use, with stations proposed in Ashby, Coalville and Moira.
The Department for Transport cash, from the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund, will pay for three quarters of a feasibility study into restoring the line.
There have been increasingly strong calls to get passenger trains running along the route through north west Leicestershire in recent years to offer an alternative to travellers using increasingly congested roads.
The movement has been led by the Campaign to Reopen Ivanhoe Line (Cril), supported by authorities including North West Leicestershire District Council.
Council leader Richard Blunt said: “Reopening the Ivanhoe line would be a major boost to North West Leicestershire’s economy, businesses and residents, and today’s announcement from Government is very welcome.
“It’s a project that we’ve long been supportive of, and an injection of government funding would be a huge step in the right direction in making this a financially viable project.
“I congratulate Cril who have been the driving force behind this bid and we continue to offer our support for the business case that now must be submitted.
“A huge amount of our effort as a council is currently focused on recovery from this pandemic and how we support an economic revival in the district – and the reopening of the Ivanhoe line would be a huge long-term boost to this ambition.
“The rail line would get cars off our roads, reduce the district’s carbon footprint and help to improve air quality – all of which is part of our zero carbon agenda.
“We are very much looking forward to continuing our support for this project.”
While the feasibility study cash has been welcomed, the prospect of a reopened railway between Leicester and Burton could be unlikely without a huge slug of government cash.
In 2016, transport officers at Leicestershire County Council warned it would cost up to £175 million, plus up to £4 million per year to run, and would not be possible.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, has helped to secure a share of £500,000 to develop plans and proposals to reopen the Ivanhoe Line. The funding will be used to explore the feasibility of the project in more detail, after the Department for Transport decided the project was worthy of further consideration.
Commenting, Dr Luke said: “While the Government is protecting lives and livelihoods in the coronavirus outbreak, never has the Conservative Party and the Prime Minister’s agenda to level up and invest in infrastructure been so important.
“I am delighted that we will now receive Government funding to develop proposals for the Ivanhoe Line in more detail, which will bring huge benefits to people living and working in the northern villages of my constituency.
“Good transport links are essential, and I hope this funding marks the first step in getting this project off the ground as quickly as possible”