At a Glance Spring 2017

The campaign to reopen At a Glance
the Skipton-Colne
railway line

2017

£43.5 million
Cashback on
this ticket

See inside for more
on this great
offer.....

CONNECTING
COMMUNITIES

ACROSS
THE NORTH
Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership www.selrap.org.uk

At a Glance 2017 2

The campaign for the reopening of the former rail Speaking at a debate in “The House” on 26th April,
line linking Skipton, North Yorkshire, with Colne, Andrew Stephenson MP [for Pendle] said:
Lancashire: ● “Every study so far has shown that the economics of the [Skip-

Where it’s at ton - Colne] scheme make sense: I would even go so far as to
say that it is a no-brainer.”
Where it’s headed
And get this: Chris Grayling, the Secretary of State for
FRONT COVER Transport recently described SELRAP’s proposals as:

The train now standing ..... ● “A very interesting case” ..... saying that “If it came through the
LEPs and the Councils, it would have a very decent chance of
at Platform 3, Skipton: could be happening.”
departing for Colne sooner than
you’d previously have thought Worth noting is the direction of travel: towards
possible. “how” [not if] the reopening of the Skipton to
Colne line could be progressed ..... with “innova-
Providing much-needed commuter tive proposals” for doing so plainly in the mindset
capacity between East Lancashire of the DfT.
and Leeds, the new route will also
complete a third trans-Pennine All of this, then, a far cry from the big bad wolf ..... who
rail freight & diversionary route huffed and he puffed and blew a third of the nation’s rail
network away. And the glaring reality that 35 million cars,
Read on for more on this a low trucks and buses currently combine to ensure that road
risk, low cost project that will transport is an increasingly unreliable way of getting any-
transform empty trackbed and where on time. And that delays to personnel and goods in
“going nowhere” branch line to transit cost trade, commerce & industry £31 billion in
create a new strategic East-West 2016. That’s a £500 “congestion tax” for each and every
link with services to match. one of us! If ever there was a need for more rail lines, it’s now! Ed.

SO WHERE’S THE CAMPAIGN AT ..... FROM THE CHAIR

..... you’ll be thinking: As SELRAP’s new chairman, I am lucky enough to have been
handed the reigns of the campaign just as we approach the gate-
SELRAP has been steadfastly pulling together the way to an exciting future. However, before you read all of the re-
strands that will see a new East-West rail route via cent good news, may I remind you of the hard work undertaken
Skipton and Colne ..... with the potential to address over many years by the executive committee. I also want to
some of region’s transport issues. thank my three predecessors, who carefully navigated SELRAP to-
wards today’s extraordinary position.
Fact: And it’s beginning to look like
Derek Jennings concluded his long chairmanship of SELRAP by
1.72 billion passenger we’re closing in on our desti- successfully persuading three county councils and the DfT to meet
journeys were made last and work together. And armed with evidence of a viable trans-
nation. Planners and policy- portation plan, David Walsh persuaded two “heavyweight” busi-
ness supporters to join our campaign. Most recently, Peter
year on the UK rail net- makers of all political hues, Nowland has been consolidating our position with local MPs, DfT
Minsters and the rail industry, who regard us as highly credible.
work ..... the highest at both local and national
So where are we as of May 2017?
ever ..... and double that level, now accept that “ca-
of 20 years ago. Transport Minister Chris Grayling recently made a speech welcom-
pacity issues” on the rail net- ing “innovative proposals” for developing new rail schemes. Our
“missing link” is potentially one of those innovative schemes.
Another fact ..... lifted work are a realtime problem.
from the latest study: And are embracing the con- Then, closely paralleling our own campaign are radical proposals
to devolve all of the decision-making for future transport invest-
The Skipton to Colne line jecture that a low cost, low ment to Transport for the North. TfN are fully aware of SELRAP.
will, “in effect join two
discrete parts of the rail risk East-West rail route via Meanwhile, Arriva Rail North have their own plans to transform
network and provide a Skipton and Colne will add rail services across “The North”. They continue to “bend over
backwards” in support of SELRAP ..... on the basis that “our” line
more coherent rail net- capacity, flexibility and could be a key part of their grand plan for Northern rail travel.

work across the study resilience to the entire pan- And, right here in the middle of our “missing link”, Rolls Royce
area as a whole.” Northern network. have just announced some huge investment plans for their ad-
vanced aerospace manufacturing plants in Barnoldswick …..
Regular followers of SELRAP’s campaign to see a
new trans-Pennine rail route for passengers and Many of our business supporters have also been quietly beavering
freight via Skipton and Colne will not need telling. away behind the scenes on our behalf. Special thanks are due to
Fact is that, from the top down, there’s been a sea Michael & Tim Parkinson, Directors at award-winning Airedale
change in the attitude of the nation’s policy-makers Springs and David Cutter, Group Chief Executive of the Skipton
insofar as the future of rail transport is concerned. Building Society. Who have never missed an opportunity to raise
the profile of our campaign with MPs, Ministers of State, rail in-
To set the scene, below is a selection box of lift-offs dustry leaders, transport operators, port authorities, and more.
from recent correspondence with the Department for
Transport and Government Ministers: So up here in “The North” we now have a realistic & realisable
proposal for extending the successful Airedale line straight from
● “I hope this letter is helpful in explaining to you how the Leeds into two very large, but often forgotten, Lancashire towns.
reopening of this line could be taken forward, and confirm-
ing that the relevant local bodies are continuing work on Independent economic experts have now proved beyond all rea-
the underlying issue of improvements to connectivity in sonable doubt that this missing link will re-join two disparate
the North of England.”(DfT to SELRAP member) parts of Northern England, and offer great value-for-money, with
transformational economic benefits. In the experts’ own words,
Then there are these ..... lifted from recent letters to the Skipton to Colne project is: “the best bang for the buck”.
the Editor from [Rail Minister] Paul Maynard:
Finally, I must remind readers that SELRAP is a totally volunteer
● “It was good to see you at the Rail North All Party Parlia- organisation. We rely wholly on the work undertaken by our
mentary Rail Group earlier this month. I was interested to membership and support from the wider community.
hear about your aspirations to reopen the railway line be-
tween Skipton and Colne, both for passengers and poten- If there is just one message I want to impress on you, it is this:
tially also for freight.” we still need your help and support to make this project a reality!

● “The Government welcomes innovative proposals for how Peter Bryson, May 2017
rail infrastructure schemes could be funded and delivered,
and my officials would be happy to discuss with local
bodies how these could be progressed.

● “I wish the campaign well in its further discussions with
local partners on whether the Skipton to Colne line should
be amongst the schemes progressed.”

● “I wish you every success in making this long-held
ambition a reality”

PULLING TOGETHER THE STRANDS 3

SELRAP’s long and convoluted journey towards a much-needed MARCH 2017: A GAME-CHANGER
new East-West rail route for passengers and freight continues to
re-define what it is possible for a voluntary group to achieve. The 93 page report: “Central trans-Pennine Corri-
timeline below shows steadfast progress towards our destination. dor: East-West Connectivity: An Economic
Study” by Cushman & Wakefield/Systra [con-
JANUARY 2015 sultants] published:

Output Definition Group consisting of 6 x Local Authorities and ● Presents economic justification for transport
top rail industry representatives convened at behest of DfT: interventions across corridor outlined within
tasked with examining the fit for the Skipton to Colne rail line the map below
within the pan-Northern network.
● States that there is “more bang” in terms of
APRIL 2016: wider economic impact from limited number
of opportunities to improve rail [as opposed
Conditional Outputs Statement published by ODG: to road] travel

● Formally recognised need for better rail connectivity between ● Though “non scheme specific”, report cites
East Lancashire and Leeds via Skipton. Will have a Skipton-Colne line per se ..... stating that it
“transformational effect” across the wider corridor would “in effect join two discrete parts of
the rail network and provide a more coher-
● Both strategic and local use of line considered, together with ent network across the study area as a
provision for freight whole”

● Used to inform Transport for The North’s (TfN) strategies for ● Areas towards centre of corridor said to
future connectivity across the north of England “benefit most from improved connectivity”
Note juxtaposition of Skipton to Colne line.

FURTHER WORK PROPOSED TO: ● Benefits of reopening the Skipton to Colne
● "Understand better the scale of economic, social and environ- line shown to be “significantly in excess of
other tests undertaken within study” .....
mental benefits" with additional benefits to other parts of the
● "Generate options, costed at an outline level" corridor via re-routing of existing flows;
● “Appraise business cases for options in line with current Web- freight et al

TAG standards." ● Reopening the Skipton to Colne line and up-
OCTOBER 2016: grading the Colne branch will make more
Central trans-Pennine Corridor: East-West Connectivity study effective use of existing infrastructure
commissioned jointly by Lancashire + the York, North Yorkshire
& East Riding LEPs, together with the West Yorkshire Combined ● Skipton-Colne route would be a catalyst for
Authority. Tasked with providing an evidence base for improved economic growth & connect people to places
connectivity across the Lancashire/North & West Yorkshire corri- of employment; promote job creation .....
dor. Designed to influence policy/funding & spending decisions. effectively bringing manufacturers and their
employees closer together. With similarly
The Central Trans Pennine Corridor as defined within the study. New rail profound impact re housing; leisure opportu-
route[s] that reopening the Skipton to Colne rail line would facilitate shown. nities, tourism et al .....
To see the study, visit:
http://www.selrap.org.uk/p1_project/20170328_Central_Trans_Pen- ● Reopening Skipton-Colne route has potential
nine_Corridor_East_West_Connectivity_Study.pdf to add a third more in terms of overall bene-
fits to the 25% improvements already de-
Get it now: and understand why reopening the Skipton to manded by TfN
Colne rail line is being described as a “no-brainer” .....
● Effect could be “transformational”

CASHBACK OFFER

Modelling within the study shows that reopen-
ing the Skipton to Colne rail line translates to a
£43.5million increase in Gross Domestic Prod-
uct PA: ie. line pays for itself in under 3 years!

SELRAP’S RESPONSE:

Whilst resisting the urge to say that this is ex-
actly what we’ve been banging on about for the
last 16 years, SELRAP warmly welcomes this
report. And entirely concurs with its findings.

Fact is, it is fair to say, that our engagement
with the Local Authorities, the Department for
Transport, Transport for the North, Network
Rail, the TOCs, freight operators, the private
sector rail industry, consultants, the business
community et al has taken on a new hue .....

REOPENING OF THE SKIPTON TO COLNE
RAIL LINE: CLOSER THAN YOU
PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT POSSIBLE!

STARS LINING UP 4

Horoscope writers with SELRAP in their sights would GOT BIGGER; GONE GREEN
have a field day. Initiatives aimed at boosting the econ- You’ve noticed, then. With so much to report on, At a
omy of The North are thick on the ground. With most of Glance has gotten bigger. Gone green as well. Ban-
them citing improved connectivity as key to prosperity. ners, boxes. The odd header, too. But there’s more to
it than that: green’s long-been a colour associated
Northern Powerhouse; East-West Connectivity; Strategic with the promotion of care for the environment,
Corridor: buzz-words such as these, and a whole lot healthy lifestyles ..... and a whole lot more. And what
more that will come to mind after AaG has gone to the could be greener than promoting a new rail route
printer are common currency right now. across the Pennines [via Skipton & Colne] that will
see hundreds of thousands of commuters, shoppers
● The Northern Powerhouse: coralling the respective and tourists climbing out of their cars and walking,
economies of The North into a collective force to rival cycling or taking connecting bus services to their
that of London and the South East. sparkling new [reopened] stations, and travelling by
train instead. Then there’s the bit about new opportu-
● Transport for The North (TfN): effectively the North of nities for transferring freight to rail, too .....
England branch of the DfT ..... devolved powers et al.
TIMES: THEY ARE A CHANGING:
http://www.transportforthenorth.com/index.html Funny thing, history. Fifty years ago the UK
was embracing modernity with a will. Super-
● Rail North: an amalgam of Local Authorities + DfT. markets and tower blocks. A brave vision from
Manages both northern rail franchises. Has a compre- planners and politicians alike: of a brand new
hensive strategy for rail [passenger & freight] to support economy. Concrete. Cars for everyone. And
economic regeneration and future prosperity. empty roads to drive them on. Together with
the prospect of industrial estates and out of
http://www.railnorth.org/ town shopping centres trailing in the wake of
the motorway.
NB Rail North and TfN are to integrate when the latter Railways: they were on the way out. To be
gains statutory status as a sub- national transport body closed & rendered beyond further use; some-
later in 2017. times, seemingly, to the cynic, on a whim. Or
maybe on the back of a convenient landslip.
THE GOOD NEWS DOES NOT END THERE:
It’s been a long & tedious journey on a line sin-
Transport for The North plans to take forward gled in the ‘seventies to save money ..... and
work on developing a strategic outline business calling at unstaffed halts in Denial, Claim and
case identifying options for improving rail and Counter-Claim. With further delay in Policy
road connectivity in the Central Pennines Change caused by a late-running service
Corridor, and WILL CONSIDER THE CASE FOR headed in the opposite direction.
THE SKIPTON–COLNE RAIL LINE, alongside
other potential interventions as part of the Photographed from the Editor’s home in February 2017,
wider business case. “Tornado”* heads out of Settle with the first steam-hauled
service train for 49 years: an initiative by [TOC] Arriva Rail
Then, there’s the Rail Minister who, in a letter North to help publicise the imminent reopening of the route
to the Editor re Skipton-Colne line reopening to Carlisle, following a massive landslide in early 2016 at
writes: “I WISH YOU EVERY SUCCESS IN MAK- Eden Brow, north of Appleby. Fifty years ago, British Rail
ING THIS LONG-HELD AMBITION A REALITY.” would have closed the entire line. For good!

SKIPTON-COLNE: A PRACTICAL & VIABLE SCHEME But fast forward, now, to the 21st century, and
The figures below say it all: the photograph above. And reflect, perhaps, on
the sea change in attitudes within all levels of
BORDERS RAILWAY [reopened 2015] serves: Government bureaucracy & administration to-
wards the need for improved rail connectivity.
Edinburgh: 490,000 population As though to prove the point Arriva Rail North
Galashiels: 15,000 population [TOC] has a major growth agenda for the entire
Tweedbank: 2000: population northern region: increased capacity, new serv-
Length: 35 miles ices, new trains et al.
Cost: £350 million Aware of the increased route availability, flexi-
bility and network resilience that the Skipton to
EAST-WEST RAIL LINE [ongoing] will serve: Colne line will facilitate, Arriva Rail North is a
major supporter of SELRAP’s proposals ..... and
Oxford: 160,000 population keen to operate services via the new line.
Bletchley: 37,000 population The list of those supporting SELRAP is endless.
Bicester: 33,000 population Use this link to see them all:
Length: 40 miles
Cost: £730 million http://www.selrap.org.uk/SR1_2_support.html

SKIPTON-COLNE LINE will serve: Both Network Rail and Note also that YOU COULD HELP SELRAP’s
private sector rail CAMPAIGN by writing to your MP, Coun-
Leeds & Bradford: 1,750,000 population engineers have toured cillor[s] and/or the DfT Ministers directly.
Pendle: 75,000 population the trackbed of the With your help, we can do it!
Burnley: 85,000 population Skipton to Colne line.
Length: 12 miles. And see only solutions; *Tornado: built in 2008 to a 1945 design. Tested recently
Cost: £100 million not problems. on the ECML at 100mph. Another “impossible” trashed.

Yes, there’s Vivary Way in Colne to cross. The canal at
Foulridge, too. Earby needs negotiating ..... without
level crossings! The line will have to cross the river Aire
near Carleton. And pass beneath the Skipton bypass
..... via a new overbridge. Or possibly by diverting it to
join the existing line to Settle & Carlisle.

DOCTOR WHO?

Dr. Beeching, actually! Owing to an acute outbreak of
“told you so”, he could well be smiling cynically beyond
the grave right now: the East-West route [via Skipton &
Colne] that he selected for further development* looks
set to be developed. Albeit fifty several years late!

*See page 5 for more on this

HELP REQUIRED 5

You can help progress this far-reaching scheme CEASELESS AND ONGOING LOBBYING .....
still further by lobbying your Councillor[s] and MP
and/or rail industry policy & decision makers. But ..... means that, together with its membership of 500, SELRAP is
don’t stop there. Spread the message still further. widely recognised amongst the great and good as a bunch of
If you represent the media, then ask what [more] sensible sorts who are promoting a brand-new East-West rail
your publication can do to move minds towards a route that study after study confirms will have a “transforma-
rail reopening that has been eloquently described tional effect” on the wider region.
as a no brainer.
Senior DfT officers and top Network Rail personnel have travelled
You might also care to join SELRAP ..... by filling from London to meet with SELRAP, and to take a tour of the
in the form below: trackbed of the Skipton to Colne line with us. As have high pro-
file representatives from Transport for the North, and private
MEMBERSHIP FORM sector rail industry specialists, port and power station operators,
TOCs, LEPs, consultants, and more.
● To join SELRAP, please contact our
Membership Secretary Each and every one of those exchanges ..... be it at the Houses
of Parliament or the offices of the Department for Transport in
● Annual subscription fee: £8.00 (£5.00 London, the constituency offices of an MP, a meeting room within
concessions), Groups: £15.00; Life: a local hotel, or out on a tour of the trackbed of “our” rail line
£60.00 ..... has been positive beyond words. And adds to the clamour
for the reopening of the Skipton to Colne rail line.
● Donations always welcome
Over the last several months, SELRAP has had meetings with:
Name:
● Andrew Jones, Northern Powerhouse Minister ..... in the company of
........................................................ Andrew Stephenson MP [for Pendle]; David Cutter, Group Chief Execu-
Address: tive, Skipton Building Society and Senior DfT representation

........................................................ ● Paul Maynard MP, the Rail Minister

........................................................ ● Jason McCartney MP, Chairman of All Party Parliamentary Group in
Postcode: The North

........................................................ ● David Brown, CEO of Transport for The North and David Hoggarth,
Tel: Director, Rail North & Jim Bamford, also of Rail North

........................................................ ● Senior representatives of the rail industry
e mail:
● James Farrar + James Flanagan; representing [respectively] North
........................................................ Yorkshire, York & East Riding ..... and Leeds LEPs
Signature:
● County Councillors and Senior Officers representing Lancashire & North
........................................................ Yorkshire County Councils +the West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Alternatively, type this link to SELRAP’s ● Dean Langton, Strategic Director, Pendle Borough Council
website into your browser and join via
PayPal/Debit/Credit card: ● Alex Hynes, [then] MD, Arriva Rail North
www.selrap.org.uk/SR1_4_members_join
.html Added to this list are ‘phone exchanges with Lancashire County Council’s
CEO; the Chair of Lancashire’s LEP; Lord Berkeley, Chair of the RFG; sen-
ior officers at the DfT, WYCA, NYCC; Network Rail; TOCs, and more .....

Then there has been formal correspondence with senior Department for
Transport officers and Paul Maynard, the Rail Minister (see above)

Following publication [by 3 x Local Authorities] of the game-changing
Socio Economic Study, further high profile meetings are planned ..... with
an eventual eye on formation of a Group to progress “our” line.*

WHAT THIS MEANS:

Modern trains and direct services from Burnley & Pendle to Leeds
in under an hour will metamorphose the truncated line to Colne.
Its reputation for being dismally slow & unreliable will be history!

Picture this: your aunt lives
in a quiet spot close to the
end of a cul de sac. In com-
mon with all the town’s major
roads, Union Court is lit
throughout, routinely main-
tained and gritted in winter.

She sees few passers-by:

Just 97,000 use Colne station [above] Union Court serves just a

each year. Figure for Skipton: 1.1 million. couple of dozen homes.

Dr. Beeching would have closed Union Court if it had been a rail-
way! On the grounds that traffic volume did not justify its on-
going costs. That’s why the line to Colne has to be part of a through route again: Ed.

Membership Secretary: Ref: AaG FUNNY THING, HISTORY:
2017
Derek Jennings, Rightly or wrongly, it remains a fact that the Beeching Report
3 Hamilton Rd, saw off many branch lines perceived to be uneconomic at the
Carr Hall, time. But get this: the report specifically cited the East-West
Barrowford, route [via Colne] for further development. Yet some place along
Lancs BB9 6DE the **line, the Skipton-Colne section got closed. Result: today’s
un-loved, under-performing and uneconomic Colne branch!

e mail: [email protected] Full circle, then, to 2017 ..... and recognition in all the right
places for moves towards the creation of a new rail route linking
Tel: 01282 690411 [via Skipton and Colne] the significant trading and manufactur-
ing centres of the North West (Rolls Royce Aerospace et al) with
SELRAP’s only source of regular income is via those of Leeds, North & West Yorkshire, and beyond.
membership fees of just £8.00 per year. Supporters
will appreciate that full colour printing and distri- * See page 6 for ** At the time there were claims that it was a cartographer’s
bution costs for At a Glance are not inconsiderable.
You could help further by making a donation! more on this error, but that was simpler to close the line than fix the
map! So far as is known, the statutory rights to construct
the railway have never been formally abandoned."

6

FROM DRAX POWER: FROM THE PRIVATE RAIL SECTOR; THIS:

Situated just a scratch South-East of Selby, and “When the SELRAP team started their journey some 16
responsible for generating fully 7% of the nation’s years ago to re-open the Skipton to Colne main line, little
electricity supply, Drax has moved towards the use did they know the political and financial conditions needed
of biomass fuel ..... imported [for resilience of sup- to make such a large project find approval.
ply] via both east and west coast ports. The cur-
rent route taken from the Port of Liverpool by We live ln such different times now (BREXIT and Devolu-
Drax’s biomass trains is seriously convoluted and tion) with the need more than ever to open a third crossing
can take up to 11 hours for the 100 mile journey. from Yorkshire to Lancashire in order to serve both passen-
ger and freight traffic growth.
The following article is penned by Graham Back-
house, Head of Supply Chain & Logistics at Drax We read in the press about Network Rail having ambitions
Power. Over to you, the reader, re the direction of to work with contractors and private financers who wish to
travel, so to speak: fund rail related works. This strategy is in the initial phases
of development, but it is important to note that traction for
On 23rd March I took the opportunity to visit Skipton in such schemes is at least a real possibility now.
the company of Paul McMahon, Freight and National Pas-
senger Director at Network Rail. Following a short pres- There are contractors and designers who wish to work with
entation at Herriots Hotel we took the opportunity to Network Rail and Transport for The North (TfN) to make
drive parallel with the route from Skipton to Colne, criss- schemes that have a sound economic [evidence- based]
crossing the former rail route along the way. business case a reality.

It was very apparent that the gradient on the route is The SELRAP team are making sure that the potential re-
limited; making it a good candidate for a potential West– opening is being discussed at senior levels within the Gov-
East corridor for freight. ernment, Local Authority and Transport for the North.

It is also clear from the evi- Other local stakeholders are keen to make the scheme hap-
dence presented in the re- pen, but the “gift” of realisation lies within the Transport
cently published economic Strategy being developed by TfN. This document will be
study carried out on behalf published later this year and will, hopefully, contain their
of the Lancashire and York- views of line re openings within the Northern Region
shire LEPs that a rail link aligned to the Northern Powerhouse growth strategy.
would add to the two towns
and the region generally. SELRAP have also engaged further with contractors and de-
sign organisations in a bid to understand their needs and
Whilst a supporter of the requirements ..... coupled with existing stakeholders; so a
co-ordinated plan of campaigning continues .....
project for some time, this
The potential of the scheme going ahead could be via a
was the first chance I had to Public Private Partnership (PPP) where a contract designs,
builds, finances ..... then either:
actually visit and see it for
● Transfers (DBFT) the asset to the DfT on completion
myself. It is not without its
or
challenges, not least the lack
● Maintains for [say] a period of 25 years (DBFM), with
of Government funds for payback via the farebox and/or access charges.

such projects. Perhaps even That said, whilst the above outlines 2 x models for financing
the scheme, there are any number of ways open to progress
more challenging for the the Skipton to Colne main line re-opening.”

project to consider will be AND FINALLY:

Pictured at Colne’s “bus stop” the need to upgrade a large SELRAP recently hosted a meeting of representa-
tives from multiple key organisations. And, whilst
station are Paul McMahon part of the railway leading much of that discussed has to remain confidential,
[left] & Graham Backhouse into Colne, returning it to it can be revealed that delegates agreed to convene
again in a couple of months ..... following agree-
dual track, with new signalling interfaces are examples. ment on specific “to-do” lists.

If we are to move large freight trains such as those oper- And the aim of the exercise: the formation of a
ated by Drax then the benefit will come from being able Group tasked with exploring the options available
to maintain speed along the route although large passing for progressing reinstatement of the Skipton to
places will be needed in places. Gauge clearance along Colne rail line as part of a new East-West route for
the route will be required. The potential to transfer passengers and freight ..... within a timeframe we
trucks from the local motorways/roads and move the can begin to get our heads around.
goods contained within them by rail, including all of the
potential freight movements of containers from the A new trans-Pennine rail route via Skipton and
newly opened Liverpool 2 container terminal, will only Colne: closer than you believed possible! So
work if all of these enhancements along the entire route watch this space! Better still, help us fill it .....
can be achieved.
MEMBERS’ MEETINGS: open to the public
I can update you with news that I have been asked to ad-
dress the Peel Ports Group Board during the summer on • Mon. 10th July 2017 @ 7.00pm: New Road Community
the subject of West East connectivity. I will be promoting Centre, Earby.
the Skipton-Colne route in my presentation and hope to
see other organisations such as Peel get behind this proj- • Mon. 11th September 2017 @ 7.00pm: Crown Hotel,
ect in future. Albert Road, Colne

My very best wishes and thanks to all of those involved in ● Mon. 13th November 2017 @ 7.00pm: Herriots Hotel,
SELRAP for keeping this project very much in the fore- Broughton Road, Skipton
front of people minds.

Fling into the frame [MP] Andrew Stephenson’s At a Glance is edited by: Step outside the box
conjecture that reopening the Skipton-Colne line is with SELRAP:
a “no-brainer.” And Secretary of State for Trans- Andy Shackleton
port, Chris Grayling’s suggestion that it would 10 Townhead Avenue ‘Cos:
have a “very decent chance of happening.” Settle
North Yorkshire If you only do what
Add to this heady mix the fact of a more than in- BD24 9RQ you’ve always done .....
teresting “innovative proposal” involving the
private sector. [as advised by the Rail Minister! Ed] e mail: You’ll only get what
[email protected] you’ve always had .....
And, at a stroke, the reopening of the Skipton to
Colne rail line takes a whole new tilt at reality.

facebook.com/reopenskiptontocolne twitter.com/skiptontocolne