Loading...
 

Next step forward on EWR

Author: Ray King - Published Sat 28 of Jul, 2018 22:11 BST - (5162 Reads)
The next major step in restoring rail links between Oxford and Cambridge was taken this week (27 July 2018) when Network Rail applied for legal permission to rebuild a railway across central England.

Rail reopening fund

Author: Chris Page - Published Mon 14 of May, 2018 20:05 BST - (9058 Reads)
Railfuture have linked with the Campaign for Better Transport to deliver a letter to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling calling for a Network Development Fund to pay for project development of realistic proposals for new and reopened stations and lines with the best projects joining a pool of national projects to be taken to full development and implementation. Photo: Railfuture media spokesman Bruce Williamson at the Department for Transport with the letter to hand in.

Wisbech half-hourly

Author: Peter Wakefield - Published Sun 11 of Mar, 2018 23:49 GMT - (4425 Reads)
Railfuture has joined together with local people, rail planning experts and influential local business leaders to progress Wisbechrail through a new group they have set up called the Wisbech Consultative Group. This will harness peoples’ ideas about where the station should be, what facilities it should have and other issues to do with a new train service.

Southern could be buzzin'

Author: Chris Page - Published Sun 25 of Jun, 2017 19:11 BST - (7395 Reads)
Chris Gibb’s independent report to the DfT on how the performance of the Govia Thameslink Railway franchise might be improved was published on 23 June 2017. Its recommendations include proposals that Railfuture already campaigns for, such as electrifying the Uckfield line. If these are implemented, then passengers could see an unprecedented improvement in rail services. This diagram, taken from the report, depicts the Southern system. At its heart are the passengers, who depend on all the other elements in the diagram for their train service. The light blue elements are the key ingredients that make the system work; the relationship between them is critical.

New approach to Uckfield

Author: Chris Page - Published Wed 22 of Mar, 2017 18:36 GMT - (9823 Reads)
On 2 March 2017 the government published the long-awaited London and South Coast Rail Corridor study report. News headlines portrayed this as the death knell of a second main line to London, but in fact the study points the way forward for reopening between Uckfield and Lewes, and a new route between Stratford and East Croydon via Docklands. The diagram, taken from the report, shows the new approach recommended to justify re-opening Uckfield – Lewes.

Clearer not simpler fares

Author: Chris Page - Published Wed 22 of Feb, 2017 18:20 GMT - (6752 Reads)
Radical fare changes proposed by the Rail Delivery Group risk reducing choice and flexibility for passengers. What is needed are clearly explained fares which offer choice, not simplistic ticketing which removes flexibility. In London, the adjacent termini of St Pancras and King’s Cross offer alternative routes to Sheffield, giving holders of ‘any permitted route’ tickets the flexibility to choose either.

Investing for growth

Author: Chris Page - Published Wed 16 of Nov, 2016 00:17 GMT - (9019 Reads)
Railfuture urges the Chancellor of the Exchequer to commit the government in next week’s Autumn Statement to a long-term investment programme which will:
  • deliver improved connectivity for London’s growing economic hub in Docklands and for the UK’s second largest airport at Gatwick, and
  • meet continually growing travel demand between London, Gatwick and the south coast.
Images by: F10 Studios - F10 Studios, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11514176>; Roger Bamber via Alamy ; S nova, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Tide turns for Waterside

Author: Tony Smale - Published Sun 13 of Nov, 2016 19:21 GMT - (12040 Reads)
The future of the Waterside Line in the South of England is once again under the spotlight, as freight traffic to Fawley refinery ceases and the Hythe ferry comes under renewed threat of closure. Marchwood station. Photo by Stuart George for Railfuture.

The case for Ashington

Author: Dennis Fancett - Published Fri 14 of Oct, 2016 14:54 BST - (8393 Reads)
Railfuture affiliated local group SENRUG (The South East Northumberland Rail User Group) are leading the campaign to re-introduce passenger services on the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne route which is a working freight line. On 11th October 2016 Northumberland County Council agreed to proceed to GRIP 3, setting out an ambitious timescale and saying trains could be running by early 2021.

GOBLIN gets Flying visit

Author: Roger Blake - Published Mon 13 of Jun, 2016 14:38 BST - (4605 Reads)
While the west end of Gospel Oak-Barking line remains open during weekdays, Flying Scotsman passes Gospel Oak station on Friday 10 June 2016.

East-West double boost

Author: Phil Smart - Published Tue 05 of Apr, 2016 16:09 BST - (6463 Reads)
Phil Smart, a member of Railfuture and a councillor on Ipswich Borough Council (one of the founders of the ‘East-West Rail Consortium’ of local authorities) welcomes the announcement by Network Rail of the preferred corridor for the East West Rail Central Section, and the support of the National Infrastructure Commission. The new Addenbrookes station site, the only common point on the various route options. Photo by Peter Wakefield for Railfuture.

London-south coast study

Author: Chris Page and Roger Blake - Published Tue 20 of Oct, 2015 19:36 BST - (9579 Reads)
The DfT took the opportunity of the official opening of the Thameslink traincare depot at Three Bridges last week to publish the Terms of Reference for the London and South Coast Rail Corridor Study, which will review the demand for rail travel and proposed rail schemes in the area between London and the South Coast. Keymer Junction (pictured) is the key constraint on the Brighton Main Line south of Three Bridges; Network Rail proposes quadruple track and a dive-under junction here to boost capacity. Alongside this study, local authorities must quantify the economic growth benefits which rail investment in the area would generate.

SENRUG gets a GRIP

Author: Dennis Fancett - Published Fri 16 of Oct, 2015 09:55 BST - (5948 Reads)
On 12th October 2015 Northumberland County Council initiated the GRIP 2 feasibility study, costing around £850,000, to carry out the detailed development work for the Ashington, Blyth & Tyne scheme. (photo John Brierley)

Bexhill Hastings biz case

Author: Roger Blake - Published Fri 09 of Oct, 2015 11:11 BST - (6487 Reads)
The Hastings Rother Taskforce presented the economic case for running high speed rail services to Rye, Hastings and Bexhill to a stakeholder group, including Railfuture, in Bexhill today.

Robin Hood Enterprise

Author: David Harby - Published Mon 21 of Sep, 2015 18:04 BST - (7505 Reads)
Good news for Railfuture's aspiration to see Robin Hood Line services extended through Warsop and Edwinstowe to Ollerton, to serve proposed business parks on the site of the now-closed Thoresby Colliery near Edwinstowe, and Center Parcs near Ollerton.

Euston Express

Author: Chris Page - Published Thu 17 of Sep, 2015 11:02 BST - (8370 Reads)
HS2 Limited have recently published their fourth attempt at a plan for Euston station, with an increased cost, massive property demolition and more disruption over a longer timescale. However there is an alternative - Euston Express would provide the necessary capacity sooner whilst costing £1.5Bn to £2Bn less and avoiding significant disruption. (Image DfT.)

Sussex Route Study

Author: Chris Page - Published Mon 14 of Sep, 2015 18:28 BST - (9831 Reads)
Network Rail published the final Sussex Area Route Study last week, following the consultation at the beginning of this year. The study recognises the strength of feeling for Uckfield - Lewes reinstatement - 44% of the consultation responses mentioned it - and considers the potential of the Uckfield route and the Lewes Horseshoe to relieve the Brighton Main Line.

Integrated Leeds station

Author: Chris Page - Published Mon 03 of Aug, 2015 16:38 BST - (6948 Reads)
Last week the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce published their proposal for a single Leeds station serving all HS2, inter-city, regional and metro rail services, rather than the separate station remote from the city centre currently planned by HS2 Ltd.