Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps says he supports the reopening of routes closed in the Beeching cuts of the 1960s.
Asked by Andrew Lewer (Con) at Transport Questions on October 24 whether he would elaborate on plans to open the proposed Market Harborough line as part of the Oxford to Cambridge expressway he said: “I understand that the reopening is at a formative stage, but I am very supportive of it. Indeed, I support the reopening of many of the smaller lines that were closed as a result of the Beeching cuts under a Labour Government, and I should like to see as many reopened as possible.”
At the same House of Commons session, Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris confirmed that feasibility work is in progress on reopening the Skipton-Colne line, adding: “We are pressing further to assess whether the proposed scheme can be made affordable, will attract sufficient traffic and is part of the right long-term solution for all trans-Pennine rail traffic.”
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For the FULL story, read RAIL 891, published on November 6, and available digitally on Android, iPad and Kindle from November 2.
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Roger Blake - 30/10/2019 18:53
Perhaps the new Transport Secretary has not been in post long enough for his homework to include the DfT-published 2017 guidance 'Expanding the Railways'. That sets out those inconvenient things called 'criteria' to be met.
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