Rail study is success for North ‘speaking as one’
THE ANNOUNCEMENT of a new feasibility study into the reopening of a historic railway line linking Yorkshire and Lancashire has been hailed as a success for the North of England unifying and “speaking with one voice”.
North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for transport Coun Don Mackenzie yesterday praised the decision of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to conduct the study into the costs, value and funding options for reopening the Skipton to Colne railway line. As reported in yesterday’s The
Yorkshire Post, campaigners and businesses say re-opening the 12mile line, which dates back to the 1840s, could create a faster rail link across the Pennines and lead to new services between Lancashire, Skipton and Leeds.
Coun Mackenzie said Mr Grayling had recognised that an earlier study commissioned by Lancashire and North Yorkshire county councils, along with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, established that there is likely to be a good economic case for reopening the line.
Coun Mackenzie said: “I think it is an early demonstration of how joint working by a number of transport authorities alongside the soon-to-be-official body, Transport for the North, can influence Ministers in London. Our approach to providing evidence of the need for and benefits of better transport links across the Pennines is paying off.”
He praised the efforts of the Skipton and East Lancs Rail Action Partnership and politicians “from all parties and both sides of the Pennines” who campaigned for the line to be reopened.
“We must all see this announcement as a success for the North working together and speaking with one voice,” he added. “There are still lots of issues to be addressed, bridges would need replacing, bits of the old railway have now been built on and there will be problems getting the trains back on to the existing railways especially along the Aire Valley line though North Yorkshire, but it’s a step in the right direction.”
North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for economic growth Coun Andrew Lee added that a reopening could boost the economy of both West Yorkshire and Lancashire.