The Campaign to Re-Open The Ivanhoe Line

[davieG]

https://ivanhoeline.org/?fbclid=IwAR1AjoGcNwNfgQcuVq87RvviuQ8jyW2xrIMBffv64ASQ0XmkSj-61MUWHqo

 

About the Ivanhoe Line

Prior to 1964 the railway line was a direct passenger link between Burton on Trent and Leicester, but it was closed to passenger services under the Beeching Closures.
Now the area around is growing faster than in many other areas of the UK and a passenger railway is needed urgently.

At present the line is run only for slow-speed freight, mainly ballast trains from Bardon Quarry.  It is our intention to lobby for the realignment and upgrading of the track bed to allow light passenger trains to run a 1/2 hour peak service.

[Parafox]

Will never happen, even though it makes sense for commuters and will alleviate the pressure on the A50/A46 into and around Coalville and  Leicester.

They will cite cost as being prohibitive.

[The Syrup]

The northbound link from the Ivanhoe line to the Midland Mainline was removed and built on years ago. Any train service would have to head south, then reverse back north to Leicester. Not impossible to deal with but blocks the mainline for a short time. Freight trains already have to do this though. 

[fuchsntf]

Ah. yes!!!

[Voll Blau]

15 hours ago, The Syrup said:

The northbound link from the Ivanhoe line to the Midland Mainline was removed and built on years ago. Any train service would have to head south, then reverse back north to Leicester. Not impossible to deal with but blocks the mainline for a short time. Freight trains already have to do this though. 

Would there not be enough room to put a northbound curve in by Saffron Lane stadium? I'm guessing there used to be one there?

[stripeyfox]

7 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

Would there not be enough room to put a northbound curve in by Saffron Lane stadium? I'm guessing there used to be one there?

I think the whole of Freemens Common sits on where the northbound curve was (or would need to be)

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, stripeyfox said:

I think the whole of Freemens Common sits on where the northbound curve was (or would need to be)

I'm no rail engineer obviously, but would there not be room for a single track curve to the immediate east of the athletics track?

[Manwell Pablo]

Should probably leave the feasibility of it to the professionals  can't see it ever happening as much as it would benefit me personally

[The Syrup]

28 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

I'm no rail engineer obviously, but would there not be room for a single track curve to the immediate east of the athletics track?

Not enough room for a northbound curve on what land is now available. I think the old curve would have come off the mainline around where it says Halfords Putney Rd in the image above. This has been talked about for decades, even when the first part of the Ivanhoe line opened to stations like Syston, Barrow and Sileby. Big investment needed for what is a minor branch line., probably better off investing in more frequent bus services to that part of the county.

[The Fox Covert]

It would be a great idea as the area the line passes through is well populated and a railway would probably reduce the travel time from Leicester to Burton to 40-45 minutes, allowing for several stops at intermediate stations. Don't know what the time for the bus is but it would certainly be much more than that as at busy times it can sometimes take over half an hour just to get out of Leicester by road.

 

Map attached which shows the area as it was in 1952. With a north facing curve exactly where Syrup says.

Map courtesy of the National Library of Scotland web site.

[The Syrup]

They could re-open the line on cheap if they wanted I guess. Reverse trains at the junction to Leicester so no north curve required, minimal track work could be done as the line is already used by freight trains heading to the quarries, although this might result in a low speed limit and might be bumpy. Some branch lines are starting to introduce 'new' class 230 trains, refurbished tube trains from the 70s that can be fitted with engines or batteries. Much cheaper than new builds. New stations can be basic (like Syston), just a short platform and a bus shelter. 

Class 230 ex-tube trains in action below

 

[davieG]

To receive funding to develop proposal.

 

 

May 23, 2020 News

First round winners of Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund announced

Ten bids to the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund are to share £500,000 to develop proposals to enhance, build or reopen railway lines and stations. The funding will provide up to 75% towards feasibility studies. Sixty bids were submitted to the first round.

Station platforms

The successful bids are understood to be the following:

Reopening Meir Railway Station between Stoke-On-Trent and North Staffordshire

Reinstatement of the Barrow Hill line between Sheffield and Chesterfield

Reinstatement of the Ivanhoe line between Leicester and Burton on Trent

Reinstatement of branch lines on the Isle of Wight (Shanklin-Ventnor and Wootton-Newport)

Reinstatement of the Abbey line between St Albans Abbey and Watford Junction (believed to be the delivery of a loop to provide an enhanced/regular clock face service)

Reopening of Wellington and Cullompton railway stations

Reinstatement of the Bury-Heywood-Rochdale lines (enabling a service serving Rossendale-Manchester rail services)

Reinstatement of the Clitheroe to Hellifield railway line

Reinstatement of rail access to Devizes via a new railway station at Lydeway between Pewsey and Westbury

Reintroduction of passenger rail services on the Waterside line (Hythe-Totton)

Source: gov.uk

[Webbo]

Oh, I got the impression we'd got the funding to go ahead, not just a feasibility study. Nothing guaranteed then. 

[Finnaldo]

1 minute ago, Webbo said:

Oh, I got the impression we'd got the funding to go ahead, not just a feasibility study. Nothing guaranteed then. 

At least it has some recognition and money behind it to move it forward now. That’s more than they could have said a few months ago.

[Nick]

I’d like to see all the old little stations open up so people can use trains to get from village to village again.

 

Id also like to see those weird journeys addressed that take silly time because of line routing - Rugby to Leicester is 19 miles but if you go via Nuneaton which means that it takes anything from an hour to an hour and a half. 
 

You can go from Rugby or Leicester to London in sub 50mins! 
 

 

[davieG]

Today we are delighted to report that additional "Development Funding" has been announced by Grant Shapps MP, Secretary if State for Transport during the daily briefing.

What does this mean? Whilst the announcement is not a guarantee that the line will open, there are several significant things about it: It effectively doubles our funding for a feasibility so we can consider the wider network aspects of the line. Central Government are now involved, which helps massively with coordination of departments and stakeholders. Specific attention was drawn to the Ivanhoe Line, and once a public announcement is made, it becomes politically more difficult to back-track. The positioning of the announcement was part of a wider rallying cry to get the economy moving again - emphasising one of our major points about the purpose of the line.

So whilst we can't rest on our laurels, and there is much work in the months ahead, we can pause for a moment to enjoy the taste of success!

[Webbo]

I don't live in that area so it doesn't really affect me, but the Loughborough to Leicester line that runs through Syston is great service. We can be in the town in less than 10 minutes. The amount of cars this could take off the road, the amount of people who could feasibly move to NW Leics if this happened makes it a no brainer for me. 

Edited 24 May 2020 by Webbo

[davieG]

4 minutes ago, Webbo said:

I don't live in that area so it doesn't really affect me, but the Loughborough to Leicester line that runs through Syston is great service. We can be in the town in less than 10 minutes. The amount of cars this could take off the road, the amount of people who could feasibly move to NW Leics if this happened makes it a no brainer for me. 

I sometimes get the train from Narborough for the footy and it's always rammed with people from Hinckley and then a load from Narborough.

[Webbo]

1 minute ago, davieG said:

I sometimes get the train from Narborough for the footy and it's always rammed with people from Hinckley and then a load from Narborough.

It's packed on match days, half the time you're off the train before the conductor can sell you a ticket. 

[davieG]

2 minutes ago, Webbo said:

It's packed on match days, half the time you're off the train before the conductor can sell you a ticket. 

Aye I've had a few free trips but the single journey back  costs almost the same as the return ticket

[SemperEadem]

39 minutes ago, davieG said:

Aye I've had a few free trips but the single journey back  costs almost the same as the return ticket

We used to jib out the back route when going out in town from Narborough. It is a very expensive route on tickets.

[worth_the_wait]

If the line does re-open, I can't see them wanting to stop and reverse trains.

 

I would've thought more likely, would be to compulsorary purchase the Saffron Lane stadium - then reprofile the line, with a curve northwards.   I think they'd be space for that.

 

Alternatively, there might be room for a flyover out, and over the lines, although it would be a bit tight.

[happy85]

https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/news/burton-news/major-boost-plan-reopen-burton-6249783

 

Major boost for plan to reopen Burton-to-Leicester train line

 

 

[davieG]

https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/disused-railways-reopening-around-england-6491585?fbclid=IwAR0A2QbgiVZTNUDVr94WvyXazy7cziHu6y1T9Y7mLY3vqP6f8chlpB8xysE

 

The reopening of a major passenger line linking Burton and Leicester "looks like it will go ahead", a respected railway writer has said.

Writing in The Express, Ben Le Vay has told of all the mothballed lines that are now reopening around the country.

And he makes special reference to the Ivanhoe Line - closed to passengers as part of the controversial Beeching cuts in the 1960s.

It comes after plans were released earlier this month for seven new stations to be built in East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire as part of the Ivanhoe Line proposals.

 

He wrote: "Several routes will be transformed with better track, faster speeds and frequencies. In the Midlands, it looks like the Ivanhoe Line will go ahead - from Leicester to Burton - putting maybe seven towns back on the tracks."

[FoxFromCoalville]

It would be nice, and improve my match day experience no end. There is a very big Leicester following from Coalville and the surrounding villages