Businesses encouraged to support rail line bid
Chamber of Trade has given its backing to Ivanhoe re-opening
BUSINESS leaders have backed a campaign to re-open a passenger railway line between Burton and Leicester.
In May, the government announced a £500,000 fund to help conduct feasibility studies on whether 10 routes could be reopened, including the Ivanhoe Line.
The Campaign for Reopening the Ivanhoe Line (CRIL), which has the backing of local authorities including North West Leicestershire District Council, has now begun to engage with businesses along the line to strengthen its case.
CRIL chairman Geoff Bushell said: “We are excited by the project being shortlisted, but we now need to move to the next phase and ensure businesses in the region are aware of the benefits the line will being.
“We have the support of four MPs and all the local authorities along the line and we believe this represents the best opportunity in recent years to install rail as a transport mode of choice.”
He said CRIL aims to build focused groups of the companies that may benefit from their location around one of the eight proposed stations, including Moira, Ashby, Coalville, Ellistown, Meynell’s Gorse and Leicester South.
Stacey Ash has been recruited to engage with companies to explain the benefits and gain support for a strategic outline business case.
CRIL said benefits include improved journey times, better connectivity via national rail routes, regeneration of the area around the station and a healthier environment. Stacey said: “Although we have just started to engage with industry, early feedback is positive, with Amazon and the National Forest Company among those stepping up to support the campaign.
“We hope this will snowball as we start to get the message further afield.
“Engaging with members of East Midlands Chamber is a natural route for us to follow as part of this process and we hope members will be keen to lend their support.”
East Midlands Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “Reopening this historic railway line would provide a major boost to the economy for the many communities along the route by opening up further connections with the rest of the region and country.
“It was a positive step to see the government provide funding for the feasibility study and it’s important businesses now engage with the project to highlight its viability.”
For more information, see: