Fresh warning as controversial East Lancashire commuter proposal is submitted to Whitehall
EAST Lancashire Railway chairman Mike Kelly has again warned that the leading heritage line could close if local authorities succeed with their plan to run commuter trains over it.
A plan for regular public services between Rawtenstall and Manchester, as outlined in Heritage Railway issue 287, has now been formally submitted to the Department for Transport for consideration under its Restoring Your Railways fund, which was announced in January 2020.
The controversial £80 million proposal includes a series of upgrades along the Rawtenstall to Bury line, which closed to passengers in 1972 and freight in 1980. The scheme would see a 44-minute passenger rail service from Rawtenstall to Manchester Victoria, via Ramsbottom, Bury, and Heywood.
Rail consultant Systra, which was appointed by Rossendale Council and Lancashire County Council, has drawn up the plan following a study into the proposal.
Rossendale Council leader Alyson Barnes said: “We are the only borough in Lancashire without a rail link and we cannot afford to miss out any longer.”
However, Mike said: “While we understand the desire for greater connectivity between Rossendale and Manchester, imposing a commuter service to run on a heritage rail infrastructure is not sustainable economically or operationally.
‘Operational threat’
“This study has been critically examined in depth and this is now the fourth such study in nine years, many of which have concluded that this proposed commuter line isn’t economically viable and would require enormous capital investment, and one study identified significant annual subsidies.
“However, the strategic outline business as set out, we believe with our extensive engineering experience of running a heritage railway the development would, at best, threaten the efficient and effective operation of, and at worst force the complete closure of, the heritage railway line operated by the East Lancashire Railway, thus threatening the growth plans in Bury town centre, Ramsbottom, and for Rochdale at Heywood and Castleton.
“ELR is a leading tourist attraction in the region, hosts important educational visits, creates jobs, and contributes £8 million annually into local economies.
“The award-winning railway, rescued from dereliction by volunteers, is a unique ‘living history’ experience that hundreds of thousands of visitors attend every year and if remodelled in the modern form, those important heritage features will be lost forever.
“It is our considered view that a new commuter line cannot coexist with the existing East Lancashire heritage line that our volunteers have given so much time and effort to preserve over the last 35 years.
“Unlike previous studies, it appears the new study has not compared other possible, more cost-effective, deliverable options to improve transport links between Manchester and Rossendale.”
The plan includes a new passing loop at Summerseat and new stations at Stubbins and Ewood Bridge.
Meanwhile, on September 14, the railway hosted a visit from Rochdale Council leader Coun Neil Emmott for a tour of the Grade II-listed Buckley Wells engineering hub.
Mike, who welcomed Coun Emmott, said: “As one of the North West’s major tourist, heritage and cultural attractions offering a unique experience of living history, it was great to highlight the huge scale of our operations and the positive impact they have on our local community and visitor economy.”