The Campaign to Re-Open The Ivanhoe Line

[davieG]

https://coalville.nub.news/news/local-news/councillor-calls-for-planned-ivanhoe-line-railway-to-be-re-named-in-recognition-of-coalvilles-near-200-year-history-199069?fbclid=IwAR3b5YzigdxNuXIy-esojvIR04-zJl2H3RNa3dT8h1cMC72Pl3l6Bay_3U4

 

Councillor calls for planned Ivanhoe Line railway to be re-named in recognition of Coalville's near-200 year history
By Graham Hill

9th Sep 2023 | Local News

A councillor has called for the planned new passenger railway line to be named after its original creator George Stephenson - to reflect Coalville's history.

The current scheme could see the route between Burton and Leicester re-opened in 2026 as the Ivanhoe Line.

The name comes from the novel Ivanhoe, written by Sir Walter Scott, which is set in Ashby de la Zouch.

But Cllr Terri Eynon told Tuesday's North West Leicestershire District Council's full council meeting that an alternative name should be considered.

The Labour councillor said that the contribution of George Stephenson, a civil engineer during the industrial revolution and renowned as the 'Father of Railways' who had first stretch of line built, with his son Robert as chief engineer, in 1832.

Cllr Eynon also highlighted 2028 as the bicentennial of Coalville and that the re-opening of the railway line could run alongside that milestone.

She told councillors: "I'm pleased to hear about the National Forest line and that it's moving along the bureaucratic track and from a wished-for fantasy to practical reality.

"But I wonder if it's now time to consider renaming the line.

"In 2028 it'll be Coalville's bicentennial. Founded by two fathers, mine owners, William Stenson and George Stephenson

"Many of us believe that the re-opening of the line will be the re-making of Coalville.

"So, rather than naming the line after a romantic, regency fantasy novel written by a Scot - who published it in 1819, before Coalville even existed - could we not recognise the real creators of the line, George and Robert Stephenson?

"And re-name the line in their honour - the Stephenson line."

George Stephenson moved to the parish of Alton Grange - now part of Ravenstone - in 1830, originally to consult on the Leicester and Swannington Railway, a line primarily proposed to take coal from the western coal fields of the county to Leicester.

The promoters of the line Mr William Stenson and Mr John Ellis, had difficulties in raising the necessary capital as the majority of local wealth had been invested in canals.

Realising the potential and need for the rail link Stephenson himself invested £2,500 and raised the remaining capital through his network of connections in Liverpool.

Cllr Sean Sheahan, leader of the Labour group on the council, said it was time for local authorities to work together now to make sure the railway line opens as planned.

He told the same meeting: "It's a great idea and I think the Campaign for the Re-opening of the Ivanhoe Line has done a fantastic job, and it's just what the project needed.

"I'll say here and now, I'm pleased to sign letters that helps get things moving.

"I just hope that we finally see this coming to fruition. Back in 1997, when I first got on to the County Council, the first meeting was to close down the committee that was looking at it.

"What you need to get this moving is plans, and also building up partnerships with the likes of Leicestershire County Council. Because, without those two things, it won't happen.

Leader of the North West Leicestershire Labour Group, Cllr Sean Sheahan. Photo: NWL Labour
"And there's still a lot of work to be done with getting County on board with putting forward a subsidy, which might only run for a few years, but it'll get it off the ground.

"Because we've been talking about this for a very long time. Others have been doing it we've been getting lots of community rail lines all around the country.

"I think we are one of those needy areas, in not having a railway connection.

"The sooner it happens, the better."

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/coalville-railway-station-one-step-8742583

 

Coalville railway station one step closer as Ivanhoe Line bid awaits green light
Railway bosses are now looking to create designs for the station but exact locations have yet to be revealed

ByLee GarrettReporter
13:10, 11 SEP 2023

Ivanhoe Line CRIL Coalville Leicester Burton rail line
The Ivanhoe Line has not served passengers since the 1960s (Image: Lee Garrett/Leicester Mercury)

Designs for Coalville’s long-awaited train station are set to be completed by the end of the year. Council bosses have yet to confirm where the station would be sited, with all hopes for the station and the Ivanhoe Line’s return in the hands of the Government.

The news of designs was announced by Councillor Richard Blunt, the leader of North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC), who revealed that progress is being made. He told fellow councillors that teams from both the Department for Transport and Network Rail had visited the area to look over potential station locations to form designs for submission as part of the Ivanhoe Line reopening bid.

He did not confirm locations scoped out for the station. But NWLDC has previously touted two sites, the car park next to the vacant Coalville Market Hall building and the town's Wolsey Road.

Coun Blunt said: “This visit was arranged to produce an appropriate design which is due to be completed by the end of the year. Work on the line itself would then follow, subject to funding being released for this next stage by the Government.”

READ MORE: Historic village church which could be transformed into 'various uses' to be auctioned off

The Ivanhoe Line, which runs from Leicester to Burton, stopped taking passengers in the 1960s. Its return has been long-touted, with the Campaign to Reopen the Ivanhoe Line group (CRIL) the most successful campaigners yet, but the idea is in the hands of the Government who are considering the bid to return passenger services to the area.

If approved, the reopened Ivanhoe Line would also see stations put in place in Moira, Ashby and Ellistown. However, these stations - and Coalville’s - are dependent on funding, with Coun Blunt making clear that a final decision lies with the Government.

He said: “This is contingent on the benefits of reopening justifying the costs and they’ll be done at the same time by the Government.”

Proposed Coalville train station Coalville Market Hall car park Wolsey Road Ivanhoe Line NWLDC

Coalville's Wolsey Road has previously been touted as a location for a train station (Image: NWLDC/Corstorphine & Wright)
A letter calling for full support from North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen was being sent by the authority and had the backing of Labour’s leader, Councillor Sean Sheahan. He said the line was needed.

He said: “The Ivanhoe Line is a great idea, long time coming. I think CRIL have done a fantastic job and it's just what the project needed. I just hope that we can finally see this come to fruition.

“We've been getting lots of community rail lines all around the country. I think we are one of those needy areas, in not having a railway connection. We’re certainly the only county town in Leicestershire that hasn’t got one and the sooner it comes, the better.”

If ultimately backed by the Government, CRIL has said work on bringing the line back to life could begin within the next two years. They believe the first passengers could even be as soon as 2026, with the Ivanhoe Line name maintained, but one councillor believed a name change was needed.

Coun Terri Eynon believed Coalville’s heritage needed acknowledging. She said: “2028 will be the bicentenary of Coalville. This town, founded by two fathers, mine owners William Stenson and George Stephenson. Many of us believe that the reopening of the line will be the remaking of Coalville.

“Rather than naming the line after a romantic Regency fantasy written by a Scot who was published in 1819 before this town even existed, could we not recognise the real creators of the line? George and Robert Stephenson [...] and rename the line in their honour.”

[Sly]

If this ran to the King Power Stadium, it would make a mint on match days. 

[davieG]

1 hour ago, Sly said:

If this ran to the King Power Stadium, it would make a mint on match days. 

Well it runs past there, it may need the club to cough up for a station which I guess would be called King Power. 
 

would be good there for the Tigers, hospital, athletics and it’s not even that far from Grace Road.

[Sly]

8 hours ago, davieG said:

Well it runs past there, it may need the club to cough up for a station which I guess would be called King Power. 
 

would be good there for the Tigers, hospital, athletics and it’s not even that far from Grace Road.

Didn’t the original stadium plans included for an underground station, which was the Ivanhoe Line? 
 

I believe some of the investment required is actually around Leicester, where the track has been removed. 
 

You’re right though, if they could link it back in, it gives greater scope.  
 

Realistically, if they could then somehow include a further link into the city itself or even link to Leicester train station, it would really open it up. 
 

I’m not sure if anyone has run the carbon numbers on cars idling as they struggle to get through the city, rather than directly rail in / out. 

[Greg2607]

Unfortunately it can't really link to Leicester station, as the area that the line used to travel through is now the business park. 

 

I'm pretty sure it was planning to terminate at the KP.  

 

As you say, for match goers who live along the route, it would be a no brainer.  

 

It would certainly draw me into leicester more. I live in Ashby and to get to Leicester on public transport takes an absolute age!!  Plus, for a night out, a taxi home is prohibitively expensive. 

 

I think it would be great if it opened back up.  Even better, IF they had an ounce of planning (which I'm sure they don't) they could house an Ashby station where the line intersects with HS2 meaning in the future, NW Leics could have access to a London and Birmingham route. 

[davieG]

 

25 minutes ago, Sly said:

Didn’t the original stadium plans included for an underground station, which was the Ivanhoe Line? 
 

I believe some of the investment required is actually around Leicester, where the track has been removed. 
 

You’re right though, if they could link it back in, it gives greater scope.  
 

Realistically, if they could then somehow include a further link into the city itself or even link to Leicester train station, it would really open it up. 
 

I’m not sure if anyone has run the carbon numbers on cars idling as they struggle to get through the city, rather than directly rail in / out. 

 

6 minutes ago, Greg2607 said:

Unfortunately it can't really link to Leicester station, as the area that the line used to travel through is now the business park. 

 

I'm pretty sure it was planning to terminate at the KP.  

 

As you say, for match goers who live along the route, it would be a no brainer.  

 

It would certainly draw me into leicester more. I live in Ashby and to get to Leicester on public transport takes an absolute age!!  Plus, for a night out, a taxi home is prohibitively expensive. 

 

I think it would be great if it opened back up.  Even better, IF they had an ounce of planning (which I'm sure they don't) they could house an Ashby station where the line intersects with HS2 meaning in the future, NW Leics could have access to a London and Birmingham route. 

Before

 

Now

 

 

You'd have shuttle down the main line and then reverse into Leicester and vice versa

[Sly]

6 minutes ago, davieG said:

 

 

Before

 

Now

 

 

You'd have shuttle down the main line and then reverse into Leicester and vice versa

This is great, thank you. 
 

I know that a group / community has been set up that is a massive advocate for this. Do you sit on that @davieG? 
 

I wondered if private ownership / investment had been explored and if any numbers had been run any potential payback? 
 

The quarry businesses around the Coalville area are utilising the line, so I wonder if they pay to use it? Rail transfer is cheaper than road, so maybe that is something the group could work into any potential numbers for securing investment. 
 

 

[davieG]

1 minute ago, Sly said:

This is great, thank you. 
 

I know that a group / community has been set up that is a massive advocate for this. Do you sit on that @davieG? 
 

I wondered if private ownership / investment had been explored and if any numbers had been run any potential payback? 
 

The quarry businesses around the Coalville area are utilising the line, so I wonder if they pay to use it? Rail transfer is cheaper than road, so maybe that is something the group could work into any potential numbers for securing investment. 
 

 

No I don't apart from when I lived in Glenfield this is of no use to me. But I'm a massive rail fan and a chair support of any improvements.

 

There's a Facebook page for the campaign which I've joined.

 

Campaign for the Reopening of the Ivanhoe Line (CRIL)

 

[The Fox Covert]

3 hours ago, davieG said:

 

 

Before

 

Now

 

 

You'd have shuttle down the main line and then reverse into Leicester and vice versa

To make the line a real asset to both NW Leicestershire and the city centre it would make sense to persuade the businesses in the southern end of the Freeman's Common industrial estate to relocate. Then the chord which used to link the line from Coalville/Ashby to the Midland Main Line going northbound could be reinstated. 

[davieG]

32 minutes ago, The Fox Covert said:

To make the line a real asset to both NW Leicestershire and the city centre it would make sense to persuade the businesses in the southern end of the Freeman's Common industrial estate to relocate. Then the chord which used to link the line from Coalville/Ashby to the Midland Main Line going northbound could be reinstated. 

Finding the ££££s to pay them to do that is the problem.

[davieG]

 

Update from the CRIL

 

Good news not so good news.

 

Seems like the Knighton Turn is proving to be a barrier to early progress fro the Leicester connection.
 

 

We have been given clearance to give a public update on the work that's been going on with Network Rail and the reopening of the Ivanhoe Line. 

You will recall that Network Rail received government funding from the Restoring Your Railway programme in June 2022 to further develop the Ivanhoe project and that this work is proceeding on schedule. This Development stage will conclude around the end of the year, with the selection of a preferred option and the production of an Outline Business Case. This will be considered by Network Rail and the Department for Transport to determine whether to allow the project to continue to the Design stage.

To put the work to reopen the line into context we must remember that the reopening would be funded by the government's Restoring Your Railways (RYR) Programme. This Programme has given us the first realistic opportunity in decades to have the line reopened. We are very well placed to benefit from the scheme because the case that we have presented is so compelling. But we must be realistic about our goals

To qualify for support from this program the proposed work must meet the government's parameters: 

Successful schemes must be ready to start work on the ground before the next election.  This means  the detailed design work must be fully complete and costed.  Also the benefits must be  identified, quantified and clearly demonstrate that they meet the government's criteria. If all this isnt done and work cannot be started before the next election we will not be considered for funding, 

The total budget for the whole programme is £500m. The Dartmoor line and the Northumberland line projects have already been funded from this budget. 

To be successful in getting some passenger trains running on the Ivanhoe line using this  precious  opportunity we must make sure that our proposal complies with these parameters. If it does not then we will not get any passenger  trains running on the line.

Part of the focus over the last 12 months by Network Rail  has been on the application of Minimum Viable Product principles, revisiting the aims of the project and the target train service to best balance cost and benefits. This approach will maximise the chances of passenger trains running on the Line again. 

As a result of this the project will now concentrate  on connecting the key towns in the corridor at Coalville, Ashby and Swadlincote / Castle Gresley to Burton-on-Trent. Additionally, the project will aim to extend the service north to Derby to provide direct connectivity to job and education opportunities. Current thinking is for an initial hourly service in each direction from Derby to Coalville.
The benefits of getting to Leicester are not enough to justify the costs of the track work, at this time. And we have always been aware that the connection at Knighton to the mainline would rely on the proposed remodelling of Leicester mainline being completed, and that this would not be carried out within the RYR timeframes already described.
Whilst CRIL are very pleased that the railway to Coalville would be reopened to passengers under this project, our aim is to get services restored to Leicester main line station. CRIL fully supports this initial scheme, but we will  continue to Campaign for a separate future project to complete the job. This would then be a  much more attractive proposition when the results of the initial Ivanhoe service provide a concrete demonstration of the demand for rail travel along the corridor.

Experience on the two most recent passenger railway reopenings in the UK (The Borders Railway and the Dartmoor Line) has shown that the actual usage of the lines has greatly exceeded expectations. This together with the inevitable impetus to the lines credibility caused by trains actually running between Derby and Coalville will make it easier for CRIL to make the case for the to be extended to Leicester to the next government after the election.

CRIL will be carrying on campaigning for the full reopening and build on this initial opening, working with councils and politicians and the support of the public. We will be announcing more details on this Campaign through this page as we develop it during the autumn.

The plans for the locations of the stations at Coalville, Ashby and Gresley (for Swadlincote) have already been discussed with local councils. Network Rail have proposed several options of station designs to the local councils, and the selection of the best site will be decided through local consultation.  The stations will be a minimalist design providing disabled access to the platform which will have a shelter, train indicator boards and ticket machines. As these will be relatively low cost additional stations could be built after opening when there is more time to build the cases and real usage data would be available to more accurately predict the demand for additional stations. CRIL would be keen to work with local communities (such as Drakelow and Moira/National Forest) to propose such extra stations.

There is a lot to digest here. We do have more detail to share with you about the proposal, the future new campaign, the station locations and how to demonstrate the essential local support needed to get this first stage over the line. We will do so through a series of posts on here over the next few weeks.

This is all very exciting news, tinged of course with sadness that we can't reopen the whole line in one step. However right from the very start of the Campaign we knew we could find ourselves in such a situation. We discussed it when the late Geoff Bushell was in the chair. He reminded us of several similar campaigns elsewhere which had refused the opportunity of a partial opening and are still waiting to get anything done for their communities. We agreed at that early stage that a partial opening would be a fantastic catalyst to getting passenger trains running on the whole line.

[Paninistickers]

8 minutes ago, davieG said:

 

Update from the CRIL

 

Good news not so good news.

 

Seems like the Knighton Turn is proving to be a barrier to early progress fro the Leicester connection.
 

 

We have been given clearance to give a public update on the work that's been going on with Network Rail and the reopening of the Ivanhoe Line. 

You will recall that Network Rail received government funding from the Restoring Your Railway programme in June 2022 to further develop the Ivanhoe project and that this work is proceeding on schedule. This Development stage will conclude around the end of the year, with the selection of a preferred option and the production of an Outline Business Case. This will be considered by Network Rail and the Department for Transport to determine whether to allow the project to continue to the Design stage.

To put the work to reopen the line into context we must remember that the reopening would be funded by the government's Restoring Your Railways (RYR) Programme. This Programme has given us the first realistic opportunity in decades to have the line reopened. We are very well placed to benefit from the scheme because the case that we have presented is so compelling. But we must be realistic about our goals

To qualify for support from this program the proposed work must meet the government's parameters: 

Successful schemes must be ready to start work on the ground before the next election.  This means  the detailed design work must be fully complete and costed.  Also the benefits must be  identified, quantified and clearly demonstrate that they meet the government's criteria. If all this isnt done and work cannot be started before the next election we will not be considered for funding, 

The total budget for the whole programme is £500m. The Dartmoor line and the Northumberland line projects have already been funded from this budget. 

To be successful in getting some passenger trains running on the Ivanhoe line using this  precious  opportunity we must make sure that our proposal complies with these parameters. If it does not then we will not get any passenger  trains running on the line.

Part of the focus over the last 12 months by Network Rail  has been on the application of Minimum Viable Product principles, revisiting the aims of the project and the target train service to best balance cost and benefits. This approach will maximise the chances of passenger trains running on the Line again. 

As a result of this the project will now concentrate  on connecting the key towns in the corridor at Coalville, Ashby and Swadlincote / Castle Gresley to Burton-on-Trent. Additionally, the project will aim to extend the service north to Derby to provide direct connectivity to job and education opportunities. Current thinking is for an initial hourly service in each direction from Derby to Coalville.
The benefits of getting to Leicester are not enough to justify the costs of the track work, at this time. And we have always been aware that the connection at Knighton to the mainline would rely on the proposed remodelling of Leicester mainline being completed, and that this would not be carried out within the RYR timeframes already described.
Whilst CRIL are very pleased that the railway to Coalville would be reopened to passengers under this project, our aim is to get services restored to Leicester main line station. CRIL fully supports this initial scheme, but we will  continue to Campaign for a separate future project to complete the job. This would then be a  much more attractive proposition when the results of the initial Ivanhoe service provide a concrete demonstration of the demand for rail travel along the corridor.

Experience on the two most recent passenger railway reopenings in the UK (The Borders Railway and the Dartmoor Line) has shown that the actual usage of the lines has greatly exceeded expectations. This together with the inevitable impetus to the lines credibility caused by trains actually running between Derby and Coalville will make it easier for CRIL to make the case for the to be extended to Leicester to the next government after the election.

CRIL will be carrying on campaigning for the full reopening and build on this initial opening, working with councils and politicians and the support of the public. We will be announcing more details on this Campaign through this page as we develop it during the autumn.

The plans for the locations of the stations at Coalville, Ashby and Gresley (for Swadlincote) have already been discussed with local councils. Network Rail have proposed several options of station designs to the local councils, and the selection of the best site will be decided through local consultation.  The stations will be a minimalist design providing disabled access to the platform which will have a shelter, train indicator boards and ticket machines. As these will be relatively low cost additional stations could be built after opening when there is more time to build the cases and real usage data would be available to more accurately predict the demand for additional stations. CRIL would be keen to work with local communities (such as Drakelow and Moira/National Forest) to propose such extra stations.

There is a lot to digest here. We do have more detail to share with you about the proposal, the future new campaign, the station locations and how to demonstrate the essential local support needed to get this first stage over the line. We will do so through a series of posts on here over the next few weeks.

This is all very exciting news, tinged of course with sadness that we can't reopen the whole line in one step. However right from the very start of the Campaign we knew we could find ourselves in such a situation. We discussed it when the late Geoff Bushell was in the chair. He reminded us of several similar campaigns elsewhere which had refused the opportunity of a partial opening and are still waiting to get anything done for their communities. We agreed at that early stage that a partial opening would be a fantastic catalyst to getting passenger trains running on the whole line.

Pretty bad news. Leicester rail connections are joke. Can't even connect our county towns, instead they have to go to Derby. 

Edited 12 September 2023 by Paninistickers

[los dedos]

9 hours ago, davieG said:

 

Update from the CRIL

 

Good news not so good news.

 

Seems like the Knighton Turn is proving to be a barrier to early progress fro the Leicester connection.
 

 

We have been given clearance to give a public update on the work that's been going on with Network Rail and the reopening of the Ivanhoe Line. 

You will recall that Network Rail received government funding from the Restoring Your Railway programme in June 2022 to further develop the Ivanhoe project and that this work is proceeding on schedule. This Development stage will conclude around the end of the year, with the selection of a preferred option and the production of an Outline Business Case. This will be considered by Network Rail and the Department for Transport to determine whether to allow the project to continue to the Design stage.

To put the work to reopen the line into context we must remember that the reopening would be funded by the government's Restoring Your Railways (RYR) Programme. This Programme has given us the first realistic opportunity in decades to have the line reopened. We are very well placed to benefit from the scheme because the case that we have presented is so compelling. But we must be realistic about our goals

To qualify for support from this program the proposed work must meet the government's parameters: 

Successful schemes must be ready to start work on the ground before the next election.  This means  the detailed design work must be fully complete and costed.  Also the benefits must be  identified, quantified and clearly demonstrate that they meet the government's criteria. If all this isnt done and work cannot be started before the next election we will not be considered for funding, 

The total budget for the whole programme is £500m. The Dartmoor line and the Northumberland line projects have already been funded from this budget. 

To be successful in getting some passenger trains running on the Ivanhoe line using this  precious  opportunity we must make sure that our proposal complies with these parameters. If it does not then we will not get any passenger  trains running on the line.

Part of the focus over the last 12 months by Network Rail  has been on the application of Minimum Viable Product principles, revisiting the aims of the project and the target train service to best balance cost and benefits. This approach will maximise the chances of passenger trains running on the Line again. 

As a result of this the project will now concentrate  on connecting the key towns in the corridor at Coalville, Ashby and Swadlincote / Castle Gresley to Burton-on-Trent. Additionally, the project will aim to extend the service north to Derby to provide direct connectivity to job and education opportunities. Current thinking is for an initial hourly service in each direction from Derby to Coalville.
The benefits of getting to Leicester are not enough to justify the costs of the track work, at this time. And we have always been aware that the connection at Knighton to the mainline would rely on the proposed remodelling of Leicester mainline being completed, and that this would not be carried out within the RYR timeframes already described.
Whilst CRIL are very pleased that the railway to Coalville would be reopened to passengers under this project, our aim is to get services restored to Leicester main line station. CRIL fully supports this initial scheme, but we will  continue to Campaign for a separate future project to complete the job. This would then be a  much more attractive proposition when the results of the initial Ivanhoe service provide a concrete demonstration of the demand for rail travel along the corridor.

Experience on the two most recent passenger railway reopenings in the UK (The Borders Railway and the Dartmoor Line) has shown that the actual usage of the lines has greatly exceeded expectations. This together with the inevitable impetus to the lines credibility caused by trains actually running between Derby and Coalville will make it easier for CRIL to make the case for the to be extended to Leicester to the next government after the election.

CRIL will be carrying on campaigning for the full reopening and build on this initial opening, working with councils and politicians and the support of the public. We will be announcing more details on this Campaign through this page as we develop it during the autumn.

The plans for the locations of the stations at Coalville, Ashby and Gresley (for Swadlincote) have already been discussed with local councils. Network Rail have proposed several options of station designs to the local councils, and the selection of the best site will be decided through local consultation.  The stations will be a minimalist design providing disabled access to the platform which will have a shelter, train indicator boards and ticket machines. As these will be relatively low cost additional stations could be built after opening when there is more time to build the cases and real usage data would be available to more accurately predict the demand for additional stations. CRIL would be keen to work with local communities (such as Drakelow and Moira/National Forest) to propose such extra stations.

There is a lot to digest here. We do have more detail to share with you about the proposal, the future new campaign, the station locations and how to demonstrate the essential local support needed to get this first stage over the line. We will do so through a series of posts on here over the next few weeks.

This is all very exciting news, tinged of course with sadness that we can't reopen the whole line in one step. However right from the very start of the Campaign we knew we could find ourselves in such a situation. We discussed it when the late Geoff Bushell was in the chair. He reminded us of several similar campaigns elsewhere which had refused the opportunity of a partial opening and are still waiting to get anything done for their communities. We agreed at that early stage that a partial opening would be a fantastic catalyst to getting passenger trains running on the whole line.

As someone commented on Facebook, Surely a station at the KP with a shuttle bus to the City centre is doable . Maybe the club, City and county councils can come up with the funding. 😬

[westernpark]

54 minutes ago, los dedos said:

As someone commented on Facebook, Surely a station at the KP with a shuttle bus to the City centre is doable . Maybe the club, City and county councils can come up with the funding. 😬

Think the club can fund the shuttle bus themselves, besides unless you have mobility issues, there’s no excuse to not be able to walk from the city centre to Filbert Way.

[Lako42]

Really shit that the Leicester link won't happen.

 

It's the main reason I wanted it. I don't give a shit about going the other way. 

[SecretPro]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/ivanhoe-line-railway-not-reconnect-8748791

 

Total waste of ****ing time then.

[Lako42]

2 hours ago, SecretPro said:

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/ivanhoe-line-railway-not-reconnect-8748791

 

Total waste of ****ing time then.

 

[Lako42]

Pains me to say it but it massively reduces the point of the whole thing. 

 

Most people in Coalville and surrounding area have **** all need or want to go into Derby or anywhere else on the line other than Ashby. 

 

 

Not connecting Leicester makes the whole thing pointless IMO

[Lionator]

This country is so bloody backwards with transport infrastructure. If this was France or Germany, it would’ve been built 15 years ago and we’d also have a tram system. 

[Livid]

20 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Pains me to say it but it massively reduces the point of the whole thing. 

 

Most people in Coalville and surrounding area have **** all need or want to go into Derby or anywhere else on the line other than Ashby. 

 

 

Not connecting Leicester makes the whole thing pointless IMO

Totally agree, if it’s not linking to Leicester does it have the slightest chance of being economically viable. 
 

May as well just knock it on the head. 
 

 

[Lako42]

Sometimes I really hate this backward shitty island 

[FoyleFox]

7 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Pains me to say it but it massively reduces the point of the whole thing. 

 

Most people in Coalville and surrounding area have **** all need or want to go into Derby or anywhere else on the line other than Ashby. 

 

 

Not connecting Leicester makes the whole thing pointless IMO

Totally agree. I have no interest in going to Derby. But they did say it should become a two phase project, with the Leicester connection being phase 2. The timescale restrictions just don't allow for its inclusion in this phase. If they don't accept splitting it, there'll never be anything. 

[The Syrup]

56 minutes ago, FoyleFox said:

Totally agree. I have no interest in going to Derby. But they did say it should become a two phase project, with the Leicester connection being phase 2. The timescale restrictions just don't allow for its inclusion in this phase. If they don't accept splitting it, there'll never be anything. 

The midland mainline electrification project is missing out Leicester as well. Will stop at Wigston and restart again north from Syston with the Leicester section done at a later date. Whole section is a bottleneck through Leicester and needs a new layout, plus they can't fit wires under the London Road bridge into the station easily.

 

Any link from the Burton line to Leicester that doesn't need a reversing move will be massively expensive, plus can't see them wanting a terminating service near the KP. You might as well just invest in the bus routes into Leicester, have express services to compliment the ones that stop at every village (bit like the Skylink service between Derby / EMA and Leicester). I guess this is why they're talking about running a train service to Derby before Leicester.

[davieG]

9 hours ago, The Syrup said:

plus can't see them wanting a terminating service near the KP.

Terminating here would provide links to the football, rugby, athletics, cricket and the LRI plus a simple bus ride into the City. Even a bus link to Fosse Park would get some use.