SELRAP - Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership
Encyclopedia
The mission of the Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) is to campaign for reinstatement of the strategic trans-Pennine route linking Colne
(Lancashire
) with Skipton
(North Yorkshire
) as part of the national rail network
and to ensure that the trackbed and its structures are protected until that aim is attained.
.
The remaining East Lancashire Line
serves a conurbation of some half a million people. It is relatively under-utilised, and it is under-developed from an engineering point of view. Colne is currently served by one train per hour which traverses the 50 mile East Lancashire Line from Blackpool South railway station
via Preston
, Blackburn, Burnley
and many station stops at intermediate towns with a total journey time in excess of 100 minutes. The route is affected by numerous Permanent Speed Restrictions particularly at junctions. Skipton is on the Airedale Line
and is served by frequent electric trains which reach Leeds
in around 40 minutes.
The East Lancashire Line as far as Colne was once part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
. However, the missing Colne - Skipton stretch was built in 1848 by the Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway
, later absorbed by the Midland Railway
.
A 2003 study commissioned by Lancashire and North Yorkshire County Councils from consultants Steer Davies Gleave found that the formation was largely intact and there were no insurmountable obstacles to reinstatement of the line. A 2007 study by JMP Consultants was commissioned to further assess the business case. This appraisal showed that a positive benefit cost ratio would be achieved for a single track option under most growth and cost scenarios. A double track railway achieves a positive benefit cost ratio if recent trends of accelerating demand growth are assumed to continue.
The proposal to reinstate the line is considered in the Draft Lancashire and Cumbria Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) from Network Rail
. The RUS contains a number of statements recognising the potential value of services which could be run on the reinstated line and calls for the alignment to be protected.
Network Rail has, however, stated that it will not be able to fund the construction work which in 2008 was stated to cost £43 million for a single-track line or £81 million for a double-track line, even though it supports the plans. SELRAP are hoping to raise money from other sources, including the Regional Growth Fund.
The trackbed is protected for transport use under the planning policies of Craven District Council, and the Pendle Local Plan, the Joint Lancashire Structure Plan and Lancashire County Council LTP2.
SELRAP does not declare a view on the proposed new road provided that its construction does not obstruct or hinder full reinstatement of a double track railway.
SELRAP does not express a view on a lower cost alternative to link Skipton with the West. With a reversal at Hellifield, trains could reach Blackburn and Preston via the Ribble Valley line: although this would require little (if any) structural investment, it would take longer than the direct route and provide none of the regeneration benefits for Colne, Nelson, Burnley or West Craven, instead passing through Clitheroe which already has a good rail service.
Colne
Colne is the second largest town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England, with a population of 20,118. It lies at the eastern end of the M65, 6 miles north-east of Burnley, with Nelson immediately adjacent, in the Aire Gap with two main roads leading into the Yorkshire...
(Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
) with Skipton
Skipton
Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...
(North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
) as part of the national rail network
National rail network
In United States railroading, the term national rail network refers to the entire network of interconnected standard gauge rail lines in North America. It does not include most subway or light rail lines...
and to ensure that the trackbed and its structures are protected until that aim is attained.
Membership and funding
SELRAP was formed in Spring 2001. It is managed by a small volunteer Executive Committee elected from its members. Membership is open to individuals, businesses, local authorities and NGOs. Its core activities are funded by a small membership fee and donations, with the addition of occasional grant support from larger community bodies. For key projects, additional funding and assistance in kind has been provided by local authorities, private charitable foundations and donations from individual members and the business community.Skipton-Colne and the East Lancashire Line
The missing section of railway between Skipton and Colne is 11.5 miles in length; it was closed in January 1970 although it was not a target under the Beeching AxeBeeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
.
The remaining East Lancashire Line
East Lancashire Line
The East Lancashire Line is a railway line in the Lancashire region of England, which runs between Preston and Colne, through Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley ....
serves a conurbation of some half a million people. It is relatively under-utilised, and it is under-developed from an engineering point of view. Colne is currently served by one train per hour which traverses the 50 mile East Lancashire Line from Blackpool South railway station
Blackpool South railway station
Blackpool South railway station is a single platform stop at the end of the Fylde coast branch line from Kirkham, in Lancashire, England. It is unmanned and has an hourly service daily, except winter Sundays....
via Preston
Preston railway station
Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
, Blackburn, Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
and many station stops at intermediate towns with a total journey time in excess of 100 minutes. The route is affected by numerous Permanent Speed Restrictions particularly at junctions. Skipton is on the Airedale Line
Airedale Line
The Airedale Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the Metro area of northern England. The service is operated by Northern Rail, on the route connecting Leeds and Bradford with Skipton in the North of England. Some services along the line continue to Morecambe or Carlisle...
and is served by frequent electric trains which reach Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
in around 40 minutes.
The East Lancashire Line as far as Colne was once part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
. However, the missing Colne - Skipton stretch was built in 1848 by the Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway
Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway
The Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway was an early British railway company in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It built a line from near Bradford through and to...
, later absorbed by the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
.
The reinstatement proposal
Reinstatement of Colne-Skipton would provide scope for both local and regional rail services. SELRAP say the line will deliver a number of benefits to local communities, the Northwest and the UK as a whole.A 2003 study commissioned by Lancashire and North Yorkshire County Councils from consultants Steer Davies Gleave found that the formation was largely intact and there were no insurmountable obstacles to reinstatement of the line. A 2007 study by JMP Consultants was commissioned to further assess the business case. This appraisal showed that a positive benefit cost ratio would be achieved for a single track option under most growth and cost scenarios. A double track railway achieves a positive benefit cost ratio if recent trends of accelerating demand growth are assumed to continue.
The proposal to reinstate the line is considered in the Draft Lancashire and Cumbria Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) from Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
. The RUS contains a number of statements recognising the potential value of services which could be run on the reinstated line and calls for the alignment to be protected.
Network Rail has, however, stated that it will not be able to fund the construction work which in 2008 was stated to cost £43 million for a single-track line or £81 million for a double-track line, even though it supports the plans. SELRAP are hoping to raise money from other sources, including the Regional Growth Fund.
The trackbed is protected for transport use under the planning policies of Craven District Council, and the Pendle Local Plan, the Joint Lancashire Structure Plan and Lancashire County Council LTP2.
SELRAP's activities
SELRAP's activities include lobbying elected representatives at all levels and negotiating to ensure that the objectives of SELRAP are reflected in policy documents and consultation exercises from bodies involved in planning, development, regeneration, transport and the railways, and the funding thereof. SELRAP also promotes and publicises its agenda via the media and public events, and through its bi-annual newsletter. In 2007 SELRAP instructed JMP consultants to investigate the business case for reopening the line.Controversies
A proposal exists to build a new road known as the “A56 Villages Bypass” from Colne towards Skipton on a similar alignment to the railway. The 2003 report from Steer Davies Gleave suggests that the road and rail schemes may be mutually inclusive. However, some critics regard the rail proposals as a source of undue delay to the road scheme.SELRAP does not declare a view on the proposed new road provided that its construction does not obstruct or hinder full reinstatement of a double track railway.
SELRAP does not express a view on a lower cost alternative to link Skipton with the West. With a reversal at Hellifield, trains could reach Blackburn and Preston via the Ribble Valley line: although this would require little (if any) structural investment, it would take longer than the direct route and provide none of the regeneration benefits for Colne, Nelson, Burnley or West Craven, instead passing through Clitheroe which already has a good rail service.