Conservative leader on Rossendale Council

‘WORK together on the council’. I often hear that call from residents in the Valley. Well we do and the economic need to re-open the rail link to Manchester is one such scheme that both the Labour and Conservative Groups are united behind.

We all look enviously at the Metrolink tram network that has been built and developed over the Great Manchester conurbation since the first line was opened in 1992 from Bury to Manchester. The network has expanded and now over 40 million passenger journeys are recorded each year! More

lines are being built such as the line to the Trafford Centre and more at the planning stage such as a line to Middleton. A success story of the highest order – passengers know how long a journey will take and their fare pays for the running of the system.

Rossendale, in the 19th century, were pioneers of the steam tram on road rails and we had a rail system all over the Valley but the line from Rochdale to Bacup closed as early as 1947, the line from Rawtenstall to Bacup closed in 1966 and the last nail was the closure of the Rawtenstall line to Bury in

1972. In the 60s you could get to Manchester far quicker by rail than you can to drive now in the 21st century. The car put paid to those forms of transport but it is the same car which is responsible for the massive congestion on our roads and in particular the roads south where some residents find highly paid jobs. As the mix of commuter traffic and heavy goods vehicles rises the need for an alternative needs to be found.

We all owe the East Lancashire Railway a great debt of gratitude. They had the foresight and the drive

to convince the Bury and Rossendale councils to join together to re-open the rail line from Bury. It took years! The line to Ramsbottom opened in 1987 and by 1991 it reached Rawtenstall. The ELR is now one of the longest heritage lines in the country and is one of the most popular attracting hundreds of thousands of people each year with an ever increasing range of events and attractions. In fact, for a special birthday, I was given a day on the footplate and acted as driver and fireman on a couple of runs up the Valley!

Everybody wants to see the ELR prosper but history has now come full circle and stations and railways are re-opening all over the UK to combat increasing congestion. There are now heritage railways which now work with main line train companies so that both prosper.

I am convinced that the tram or heavy rail will come to Rossendale. These schemes are highly technical and take years to come to a successful re-opening. However, if nobody takes the lead nothing will happen. The opportunity is there.

Councillors and our MP, Jake Berry, are united. However, the councils, the ELR, residents and businesses need to get together. SELRAP (Skipton East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership) is an example.

To its credit Rossendale council is now commissioning reports to move the project on but I want to see the leaders of the council for Bury and Rossendale sign an agreement to work together with the ELR and other interested parties including our MPs to get the ball rolling. Watch this space!