Prioritise smaller connectivity projects in the North
I was interested to read Philip Haigh’s review of the intended improvements promised to our railways in the North ( RAIL 888).
While TransPennine Express and Northern services will hopefully receive long-overdue improvements in frequency, speed and rolling stock, ‘The North’ does not stop at the Liverpool-Manchester-Leeds-Hull corridor. As it stands, other northern conurbations will benefit little from these welcome inter-city developments.
Yes, new diesel and electric units are coming into service, but the benefits will be limited until some radical reshaping of the network is undertaken. Lines which were foolishly closed in the 1960s and 70s must be reopened - and sooner rather than later.
An improvement in connectivity between large areas of population away from the major cities is vital to the economic development of our towns.
It is fine to have wide-ranging and optimistic plans for major lines across the Pennines, but how long will it be before we can travel on them? And how vulnerable are they to political U-turns?
Instead of the talking, promises and endless feasibility studies, we could be making a real difference right now to the lives of people, by completing smaller projects that are obvious winners and which are crying out to be done.
Take, for example, the plan to reopen the line from Colne to Skipton. North East Lancashire is an underdeveloped and relatively poor area with a population of nearly half a million. Connecting it with a reliable rail service to the more prosperous Skipton/North West Yorkshire region would enable investment and job opportunities on both sides of the divide. It would also provide a much-needed direct and level trans-Pennine freight link bringing businesses and jobs to the area.
All this at a tiny fraction of the cost of the major inter-city projects.
And as for these great engineering projects across the Pennines, judging by all other high-profile projects undertaken by Network Rail, it will be many years and much revising of budgets before completion.
Disruption on existing routes, all of which are full to capacity, will be horrendous. Benefits will not be achieved for years, and at 72 years old I will be lucky to see any of them!
Show the people of the North you mean business. Build Colne-Skipton first. Give thousands of people the railway they deserve, and use it as a diversionary route when the big jobs start.
Tony Mitchell, Lancashire