Area
County of Lancashire, the unitary authorities of Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Cheshire East, Cheshire West & Chester, Cumberland, Halton, Warrington, and Westmorland & Furness, and the Metropolitan Districts of Bolton, Bury, Knowsley, Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, St. Helens, Salford, Sefton, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and Wirral.Branch Meetings
The next branch committee meetings open to members are on Thursday 4th September at The Railway, Rose Hill Marple starting at 1330 (because of venue opening and train arrival times), then Thursday 6th November at The Merebrook in Bromborough, starting at 1300. Lunch is planned to be taken at both venues from 1200.
For further details of meetings, please contact either the chair, vice chair or secretary of Railfuture North West through the shared email address northwest at railfuture.org.uk.
Current campaigns
Railfuture have launched a Northern Powerhouse campaign for improved services that can be achieved now within current constraints, and that can be achieved in future through a coordinated investment programme, to turn the great Northern cities of Liverpool, Preston, Manchester, Sheffield, Bradford, Leeds and Hull into a single strategic economic entity linked by a fast, high capacity rail network to realise the economic potential of the region as a global powerhouse.
Specific local campaigns include:
- Two trains per hour on the Mid-Cheshire line
- Re-opening the line between Skipton and Colne SELRAP.
- Re-opening of the Keswick Railway between Penrith and Keswick
- A new line and station to get the town of Skelmersdale back on the rail network
- A reliable enhanced service on the Wrexham-Bidston Line, a new station serving Deeside Industrial Park and the introduction of through trains to Liverpool as soon as suitable rolling stock becomes available.
- Railfuture is pleased that Northern have now introduced a year round Saturdays only service from Rochdale via Manchester to Hellifield, (called the Yorkshire Dales Explorer), and is joining with the Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line group to press for a daily passenger services on the route.
- Re-opening of the current freight only Northwich - Sandbach line, to include a new station at Middlewich.
Branch Newsletter
Latest Rail North West to view or download PDF 1.2MB]See previous newsletters
Branch dashboard
See all North West branch documents etc here.Rail user groups
- Blackpool and Fylde Rail Users Association
- Chinley & Buxworth Transport Group
- Friends of Denton Station (no link presently)
- Friends of Eccles Station
- Friends of Goostrey Station
- Furness Line Action Group
- Lakes Line Rail User Group
- Lancaster, Morecambe & District Rail User Group (no link presently)
- Lancaster and Skipton Rail Users’ Group
- Friends of Littleborough Stations (Lancashire)
- Mid Cheshire Rail Users’ Association (MCRUA)
- North Cheshire Rail Users’ Group (NCRUG)
- Ormskirk, Preston and Southport Travellers Association (OPSTA)
- Friends of Reddish South Station
- Ribble Valley Rail
- Shrewsbury-Chester Rail Users’ Association
- Skipton-East Lancashire Railway Action Partnership (SELRAP) (reopening campaign)
- Wirral Transport Users’ Association
- Wrexham-Bidston Rail Users Association
Events
Railfuture and other regional and national events, including conferences and key campaign dates.Branch contacts
PLEASE NOTE THE BRANCH DOES NOT HAVE A MEDIA SPOKESPERSON AND IS UNABLE TO ANSWER MEDIA QUERIES.Trevor Bishop, Branch Chairman
4,Butterfield Close
Cheadle Hulme
Cheadle
Cheshire
SK8 7AE
Tel. M 0161 485 8426. Email: trevor.bishop at railfuture.org.uk
Christopher Norton, Branch Secretary
26 Handsworth Road,
Blackpool
FY1 2RQ
Tel: 01253 623338 Email: cjnblackpool at btinternet.com