The Skipton and East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) has expressed disappointment that last week's budget ignored Marginal Constituencies in the area.
The disappointment was compounded as the Prime Minister and Chancellor relaunched the Conservative Party's election manifesto commitment for Levelling Up in Accrington in the heart of East Lancashire.
The key project in the area is the Skipton to Colne rail line, which runs through key “Red Wall” constituencies, but over a year after making the Levelling Up promises, last week's budget completely ignored financing any new transport project in the region.
Although money released by the cancellation of part of HS2 was supposed to finance transformational transport projects across “The North”, the budget ignored East Lancashire, including Accrington, even though East Lancashire is one of the country's most deprived places.
That is why SELRAP has been working with Government Ministers, civil servants, and Network Rail to reinstate the railway across the Pennines from Skipton to Colne.
The project has an excellent business case, and it would reconnect East Lancashire to many employment opportunities in Yorkshire.
The Skipton and East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership has about 500 members and enjoys wide support from politicians and key businesses.
Its focus is on restoring the 12-mile railway line from Skipton to Colne and would provide any large communities with transformational transport links. With fast links to Leeds and Bradford, it would enhance education and employment opportunities.
With Accrington, Burnley and the Pendle area served by the reopened line, journey times to Leeds and Bradford would be transformed to just over an hour.
A sound business case for the project has already been developed by The Department for Transport and Network Rail.
It envisages that the cost would be £300 million, which is approximately 1% of what the government plans to spend on Northern Powerhouse Rail.
As the planned route is across a green-field site; it is both low risk and can be delivered quickly.
There are over 300 councils in England, yet four of the five council areas along the route are in the most deprived 10%, and three out of them are in the most deprived 5%.
In recent years, relative deprivation in these towns has worsened markedly, and all towns along the route are continuing to fall further behind the rest of the North.
The planned route runs through the town centres of many marginal Red Wall constituencies including those of:
- Philip Davies – Conservative MP for Shipley.
- Robbie Moore – Conservative MP for Keighley and Ilkley.
- Julian Smith – Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, which is the neighbouring constituency to Rishi Sunak's.
- Andrew Stephenson – Conservative MP for Pendle, who was a former HS2 Minister.
- Anthony Higginbotham – Conservative MP for Burnley.
- Sara Britcliffe – Conservative MP for Hyndburn
Dear all,
Nil Desperandum guys. Having attended the Colne Beer Festival years ago, to the theme of “All Steamed Up” l had expected this link to have been built by now. I live just outside Worcester where the brand new Worcester Parkway station opened in 2019.
This had been on the books for over forty years, l kid ye not. I am sure Skipton and Colne will be United in time.
I cant see this project ever happening its been going on selrap trying to get it done for over twenty years now and they are no nearer getting the go ahead. it should never have been closed in the first place it wasnt on the beeching cuts . febuary 1970 last train ran on line.to get it re opened would be a massive job. there would be uproar with public reaction trying to get through foulridge and earby also getting across vivary way would be a massive job getting over canal at foulridge new bridge would have to be built also through earby would be a problem to getting over the main road and the river ayre a new bridge required plus all the excisting bridges would need repairig the amount of trees along the excisting route that would have to come down would cause big public reaction if the goverment had been that interested it would have go ahead by now it will be a miracle if it ever happens
The Drax Power station MD was keen but the Rail Freight Group had reservations about potential freight use of the line because of the lack of freight paths from Skipton to Leeds and especially across the Leeds west end and through the station.
The alternative to this, and at a fraction of the cost, would be a curve at Hellifield linking the Blackburn line with the Skipton line would the need to reverse in Hellifield station. Under an Value For Money test such a curve should win hand over fist compared to Colne / Skipton where the costs to make the link worthwhile would also have to include reinstating the double track to Colne.
I seem to recall at least one of the freight operators was keen on this scheme, as it would give them another trans Pennine routing option. They wouldn’t want to be lumbered with a reversal at Hellifield at all.