The Campaign to Re-Open The Ivanhoe Line

[davieG]

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2023/09/network-rail-release-update-on-leicestershire-railway-line-reopening.html?fbclid=IwAR1C9YsrZt4ZrrJMqrjOesL2JUFoRjC5dsWvrZu2Ors5Sge4xiyed9fVeWg

 

Network Rail release update on Leicestershire railway line reopening
Michael Holden avatar
Last updated: 18/09/2023 at 3:58 PM
Michael Holden

Network Rail has released an update on the Ivanhoe Line project, which is set to have an Outline Business Case by the end of the year

The Ivanhoe Line project would see passenger trains return to Coalville, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and Swadlincote/Castle Gresley, with connections to Derby or Burton for the first time since the 1960s.

Due to the freight usage on the line between Coalville and Leicester, the project does not currently extend to Leicester due to the infrastructure investment needed.

However, should the service prove a success, the reconnection to Leicester could be part of a future project.

Mike Smith, Network Rail's Programme Director for the Restoring Your Railways project, said: “Network Rail is working to further develop the Ivanhoe Line project. The development stage is set to culminate around the end of the year, with the production of an Outline Business Case to be considered alongside the Department for Transport.

“Reopening the Ivanhoe Line to passenger traffic would see towns such as Coalville, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and Swadlincote/Castle Gresley reconnected to each other and the wider national rail network at Derby or Burton for the first time since the 1960s.

“Currently, the project is not extending to Leicester. Due to current freight usage on the single-track line between Coalville and Leicester, the introduction of a new passenger service connecting to Leicester station and operating alongside these freight services is likely to require significant infrastructure investment. However, this reconnection could form part of a separate future project, should the initial Ivanhoe service prove to be a success.

“If the current proposals go ahead, the project will see three new stations built at Castle Gresley, Ashby, and Coalville. The project has identified several options at each of these sites, which will be narrowed down to a single preferred option by the end of the year.”

[davieG]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/220065222221824/

 

Douglas McLay
Admin
Group expert
  · 
2 hours ago
  · 
There  was a lot of information in last week's post which left many questions in people's minds, and indeed many of you asked them in the comments underneath. Rather than respond to these questions in the comments area we will be addressing these issues in a series of posts over the coming weeks. This will make it easier for everyone to find them rather than having to scroll down through the comments hoping you don't miss anything interesting!
This week's post is a copy of the FAQs accompanying the information that the Department for Transport released last week. We hope that this clarifies some of the points that were raised here, or that you may have in your minds.
As is often the way with FAQs this information is generalised, and does not delve into the details that you want. So over the coming weeks we will publish single topic articles which will look at the Restoring Your Railways (RYR) Programmes current plans in more detail, and lay out CRILs plans for completing the job of full re-opening. In our next article we will be looking at the line between Coalville and Leicester, why it cant be included in the RYR programme and what could change in the future.
Here are some frequently asked question (FAQs) about the current Network Rail proposal which we mentioned in a recent post
Q. Why is the link between Coalville and Leicester not being progressed?
A. The existing route between Coalville and Leicester is predominantly single track and is in regular use by freight services accessing Bardon Hill quarry from the Midland Mainline around Leicester. 
The introduction of a new passenger service alongside these freight services is likely to require doubling of most of the route which would come with significant cost that is unlikely to be justified at this stage by the comparatively limited benefits the connection provides. This reconnection could form part of a separate future project, should the initial Ivanhoe service prove to be a success.
Q. What work is taking place at present?
A. The DfT is working with rail industry colleagues to develop early designs for the station locations and proposals for improvements to the railway line itself, to make it suitable for passenger service operation. Local Authority colleagues and other stakeholders will be part of the process to select preferred options in the coming months. The options will then be priced and business case updated to inform the next Investment Decision early next year. 
Q. Where will the new stations be?
A. The project is developing options for new stations in Castle Gresley, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and Coalville. The project has identified several options at each of these sites, which will be narrowed down to a single preferred option by the end of the year.
There will be the opportunity for local communities to campaign in conjunction with CRIL for additional intermediate stations to be added after the line is opened to Coalville.
Q. When will the new train service start?
A. The project is currently in the development stage and will be subject to further investment decisions over the next few years. Should the business case continue to justify the investment and be affordable in DfT’s budgets, the new train service could begin in 2026/27.
Q. Has the government now committed to the delivery of the project?
A. Not yet. The project is currently funded through the Development stage of the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline process, to the production of an Outline Business Case. This will be considered as part of the investment decision process to unlock Design stage funding, culminating in the production of a Full Business Case. This will then form the basis of a Final Investment Decision to unlock funding for the Delivery stage. All decisions will be subject to a strong business case and both capital and operational budget affordability.
Q. Will local residents have an opportunity to have their say about the proposals?
A. The new stations will be subject to the local planning rules and processes, where local residents will have an opportunity to have their say.
Q. How often will the services operate and where will they be connected?
A. The current proposal is for an hourly service between Coalville and Derby, calling at Ashby, Castle Gresley, Burton-on-Trent and Willington. The project is still in its early stages and this service may change as the design, cost, benefit and timetable considerations are developed further.
These services will give connections to the mainline railway network at Burton (For Bitmingham, Bristol and the West Country and London via Tamworth) and Derby for the Northeast, the Northwest, Scotland and London St Pancras.
Q. Will funding be made available in the future to extend services from Coalville to Leicester?
A. Any future extension will be subject to a separate business case to demonstrate that it represents value for money and is affordable within the government’s rail enhancement budgets. 
CRIL is starting a new Campaign to promote the opening to Leicester, probably in two steps. The first one to Leicester South and the second to Leicester Main Line.

[davieG]

Looks like it'll be 2030+ for any link to Leicester South / Leicester Main Line.

[Lako42]

18 hours ago, davieG said:

Looks like it'll be 2030+ for any link to Leicester South / Leicester Main Line.

It wont happen because this country is a complete joke when it comes to infrastructure 

[davieG]

16 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

It wont happen because this country is a complete joke when it comes to infrastructure 

This would have been the most used section if they're basing this phase on the success of the first with regards to revenue and usage it won't stand a chance. 

[Paninistickers]

Not related to this thread directly, but what a sh2tshow this country is for infrastructure (London apart) 

 

HS2 needs to be done properly in full or not at all. Plus, the works should've started north to south, not south to north. Plus it should've lined to the hs1 line at Gravesend and Stratford. As per, we are gonna have a high speed line from central Brum to an anonymous Middlesex suburb. And that's it. 

 

And micro projects like the knighton curve can't be paid for because of it.

[davieG]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/220065222221824/

 

Douglas McLay

Admin

Group expert

  · nooSsrtdpe974814muc5174cmh29ui3u28238a3t50939525hg10clff03l1  · 

 

LEICESTERSIRE COUNTY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORT THE FULL REOPENING OF THE IVANHOE LINE FROM DERBY TO LEICESTER.

The recent announcement that the Government's Restoring Your Railway Programme is focusing on the Coalville to Derby section of the Ivanhoe line led to a discussion at today's Leicestershire County Council meeting.

Councillor David Bill, the liberal Democrat Councillor for Hollycroft, proposed a motion that Leicestershire Council Council supports the reopening of whole line from Derby to Leicester. This was supported by all three parties and the motion passed.

The Council will now write to the Department of Transport and Network Rail calling for the reopening of the whole line to be funded. This was discussed with Coucillor Bill on BBC Leicesters Drive Time programme tonight.

During the debate councillors emphasised the need for Leicstershire people to be able to travel to Leicester rather than to Burton or Derby. However Councillor Robert Ashman, representing Measham, pointed out that many residents of Ashby, Measham and Coalville work in Derby in large concerns such as Toyota and Rolls Royce. Whilst supporting the motion Councillor Ashman urged the council not to underestimate the benefits to the NW Leicester area of Network Rails partial reopening proposal.

During his appearance on BBC Radio Leicester this evening Councillor Bill recounted the history of attempts to reopen the line over the last 40 years, and paid tribute to the recent work of CRIL who he said had "tackled the challenges head on"

You can hear the piece on Radio Leicester here:- https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0gcdhd4

Ben Jackson - 27/09/2023 - BBC Sounds about 3:23:20 into the recording. Not sure how long the recording is available.

All reactions:

9595

 

[Beechey]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/find-out-about-every-new-transport-project-in-your-region

 

Quote

Reopening Beeching Line stations: Including the Ivanhoe Line between Leicester and Burton, connecting 250,000 people across South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire, with new stations en route. 

 

[Lako42]

Should be loads of cash sloshing about to get this done properly now

[Lionator]

Was dubious before given the discussion on here, I'm even more dubious that it'll happen now. 

[davieG]

We're certainly the poor relations compared to the rest of the country and even compared to Notts & Derby. You only have to see we're the worst financially supported council from government funding for the County Council budget.

[FoyleFox]

From the CRIL FB page. 

 

PRIME MINISTER RISHI SUNAK ANNOUNCES THE REOPENING OF THE WHOLE IVANHOE LINE AS PART OF A £ 9.6BnTRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE FOR THE EAST MIDLANDS!

In his leaders speech this lunchtime the Prime Minister announced that he is going to scrap the HS2 leg from Birmingham and reinvest the £36Bn saved in transport infrastructure projects in the north and midlands. 

In the supporting detail issued after the speech a package of measures for the East Midlands, worth £9.6Bn, is referred to. This includes the following statement:: 

“Reconnecting communities by reopening closed Beeching lines. We will ensure delivery by fully funding certain schemes in our popular Beeching reopening programme, to reopen closed lines and new stations on existing lines in the North, subject to approval of business cases. We will reopen the Ivanhoe Line between Leicester and Burton, connecting nearly 2 million people across South Derbyshire and Northwest Leicestershire.”

This development is obviously helpful, but we will need to wait to see how things develop over the coming months. At the very least it strengthens the already good probability that the Derby to Coalville section will go ahead. It also creates a new framework for the extension to Leicester to be authorised and funded. This would give us a target for our follow on Campaign.

One helpful feature is that the announcement includes the development of a Midlands Rail Hub, which could well include the remodelling of the southern approach to Leicester Station. This would make the reconnection of the Ivanhoe Line into Leicester Station a realistic possibility.

Watch out on here for more news on this development….

[Sly]

Bardon has a patch of land, just off the Birch Tree roundabout, that would be perfect for a railway station and is screaming out for someone to drop some sort of McDonalds, Starbucks etc on it, with the amount of traffic the sight would get, if this gets approved. 

[davieG]

Not convinced it will happen with an election next year but the map shows the line going all the way to Leicester.

 

 

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/what-the-plan-to-launch-network-north-means-for-you?fbclid=IwAR0uzaWet5fQZHSTY8INv5OarrNXN6WQqH1cZ8314HLCeAW9o6rrC1WRT1k

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak explains his new approach to transport in our country.

From:
Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
Published
4 October 2023
Written on:
4 October 2023

 

Two maps side by side of the UK, showing the previous HS2 route and the new Network North plans. 
Today we are announcing some changes on our approach to HS2.

We will deliver HS2 between Birmingham and Euston as planned but we will extend it no further.

Instead we will take every pound that would have been spent extending HS2 and invest over £36 billion into Network North – a new programme of transport improvements that will benefit far more people, in far more places, far quicker.

 

Why we’re making the change
Costs for HS2 have more than doubled since forecast – phase one was originally meant to cost £20 billion but latest estimates are up to £45 billion.

And the project has been repeatedly delayed.

It was supposed to be operational by 2026 and opened in full by 2033, but now the the line to Manchester is forecast to be opened in 2041, in 18 years’ time.

And the pandemic has completely changed the way we travel. While road travel has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, train journeys are still down by 20 per cent.

 

This change will transform every region
Every region will have as much or more transport investment as a result of this decision.

More than four million people in cities in the North cannot currently reach their city centre by public transport within half an hour.

This is detrimental to our productivity and economic growth.

Yet the current HS2 project is preventing us from spending on the forms of transport that matter most to people.

By scrapping it, every penny from the Northern leg of HS2 will go to the North and every penny from the Midlands leg to the Midlands.

Rather than just connecting Birmingham and Manchester, we will invest £36 billion in hundreds of projects in towns, cities and rural areas across our whole country, and in roads, rail, and buses – investment on a truly unprecedented scale that will drive economic growth and provide jobs.

 

£19.8 billion for the North
We will invest £19.8 billion in the North on things like connecting its major cities, a new station in Bradford, a new tram for Leeds, new major roads, reopened train lines and an additional £12 billion for better connectivity between Manchester and Liverpool.

 

£9.6 billion for the Midlands
There will be a further £9.6 billion for the Midlands, invested in a new Midlands Rail Hub that will connect 50 stations, major road upgrades, and reopened train lines with new stations. 

 

£6.5 billion for the rest of the country
We’ll also invest £6.5 billion across the rest of the country, on schemes like keeping the £2 bus fare until the end of December 2024. Boosting road schemes, upgrading Ely Junction, major rail improvements across the South West and billions to fix potholes in our roads.

 

Greater connectivity for both Scotland and Wales
Further funding will be made available to improve connectivity between towns and cities across Scotland and Wales, making it easier for people to access the jobs and services they need quickly, via public transport.

 

Delivering a better future
If we want to change the country – and build a better future for our children – these changes to our transport system are absolutely essential.

For too long we’ve been getting our transport wrong, meaning our great towns, cities and rural areas are not achieving their potential. That has to change.

Our new vision will focus on the forms of transport that matter most to people, drive the best growth and, importantly, that truly levels up our country. 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Published 4 October 2023

 

[davieG]

This is why you cannot be confident especially as the link to Leicester is subject to a business case for it. Re installing the Leicester curvy will still most likely give them a reason for not going ahead.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-67018745

The government has been accused of "misleading" people over the reopening of a rail line using funds from HS2's scrapped northern leg.

On Wednesday, Rishi Sunak announced plans to invest £36bn in projects around the North and Midlands including the North East's Leamside line.

However, mentions of it were quickly removed from the government's website.

Transport minister Richard Holden said it had only committed to "looking into" the scheme.

The prime minister used his speech at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester to confirm the cancellation of the northern part of the HS2 rail link, which had been due to run between the city and Birmingham.

A report on how the outstanding £36bn was to be reinvested in alternative transport measures was then published.

In the Network North report - later amended - it said the Leamside line, which ran between Pelaw, Gateshead and Tursdale, County Durham, would be reopened.

Mr Holden has since said the government wants to "work with local partners to consider the different uses for the route" and listen to "what their priorities would be for transport in the area".

Any decision to reopen the line, which closed in 1964, could be made by local leaders using an £1.8bn fund due to be granted by the government and aimed at bolstering local transport, he added.

'Fairytale'
The Northern Powerhouse Partnership said the government's Network North plans were a "fairytale", with chief executive Henri Murison questioning the prime minister's "credibility".

And in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said: "Yesterday we were led to believe this was happening - so I welcomed it.

"Misleading the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and northern public [is] not a good way to build trust. I'm writing to Huw Merriman today and will seek clarification urgently."

He added if the government did not honour its initial commitment it would be "significant evidence of a betrayal of the North of England".

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuiness, Labour's candidate for North East mayor, called the original announcement a "scam".

"The prime minister's promise to the North East didn't even last 24 hours - only a fool would trust Rishi Sunak again," she said.

Politicians, local businesses and the public have called for the reopening of the Leamside Line for several years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It has been suggested part of the route could also provide an extension for the Tyne and Wear Metro network to Washington.

A Department for Transport spokesman said the government was providing around £1.8bn to the North East - an investment it said was "only possible due to the billions of pounds redirected from HS2".

He added: "This investment will empower local leaders to fund the transport projects that matter most to their communities - including funding for the Leamside line if they choose to.

"We are working closely with Transport North East as they work on the business case for the re-opening of the Leamside line."

[l444ry]

Slippery Sunak's dishonest Northern Network *Plan* is already falling apart like a cheap suit. He's as big a liar as Johnson was with his 40 new hospitals. 

[kenny]

10 minutes ago, l444ry said:

Slippery Sunak's dishonest Northern Network *Plan* is already falling apart like a cheap suit. He's as big a liar as Johnson was with his 40 new hospitals. 

Having heard the details this morning, I doubt he has even read it. It sounds like its a hastily and poorly put together document to hopefully get them out of the hole they have created.

 

Its shambolic.  

 

From the Guardian..

 

Quote

Here are 10 dodgy bits in and around the Network North announcement:

1 – The front-page map of the prospectus seems to relocate Manchester to Preston.

2 – It says new funding to Greater Manchester could mean the Metrolink tram network being extended to Manchester airport. The airport link opened in 2014.

3 – Labour analysis of Sunak’s promises found 85% had already been promised or committed to during the Conservatives’ 13-year reign.

4 – In a promotional video to promote Network North, Sunak said he would quadruple the number of trains between Sheffield and Leeds. As the travel journalist Simon Calder pointed out, there are already five an hour each way, and so Sunak appeared to be promising 20 trains an hour – one every three minutes – which would essentially turn the route into a tube line. Great news for God’s own county! Alas, it seems the prime minister failed to read the small print of Network North, which promised to increase the number of fast trains between these two Yorkshire cities to three or four an hour.

5 – After Sunak’s speech on Wednesday, the government issued a list of projects to which it was committed. One of these read: “The Leamside line, closed in 1964, will also be reopened.” Come Thursday morning, the promise to reinstate the 21-mile route in County Durham had mysteriously disappeared from the Network North prospectus. The transport minister Richard Holden told the local democracy reporting service the government was now only “committed to looking into it”.

 

6 – Sunak has a very elastic definition of the “north”, with Network North promising to improve rail connections to Plymouth, which is 250 miles from Crewe – the Cheshire town that many people see as the gateway to the north of England.

7 – Speaking of Crewe, it went from being a key hub on HS2 to being probably the biggest loser of the cancellation debacle. This once great railway town is mentioned only in passing in Network North, when there is talk of £1bn investment in the north Wales main line, which starts in Crewe.

8 – There is little in Network North about creating new capacity on the chockablock west coast main line north of Birmingham, particularly the Castlefield corridor into Manchester, which is classed by Network Rail as “officially congested”. According to Craig Browne, the deputy leader of Cheshire East council, “the rail journey from Crewe to Manchester on the west coast main line is mostly two tracks [one in each direction], which means you can only go at the speed of the slowest train.” HS2 was supposed to take the fastest intercity services off the main line, freeing up space for far more local stopping services.

9 – Bristol – which is north of Devon and Cornwall and not a lot else in England – also had its opportunities snatched away with a quick swipe of the delete key. On Wednesday, government documents promised “£100m for a mass transit system for Bristol to revolutionise travel in and around Bristol”. On Thursday, that pledge had vanished. It appeared to have been replaced with a broader pledge to give the West of England combined authority £100m, which it could spend on various things in their region.

10 – Network North committed to upgrading the A259 from Bognor Regis to that well-known northern city of Southampton, but on Thursday ministers admitted they actually meant Littlehampton, 45 miles away.

 

Edited 6 October 2023 by kenny

[Zear0]

6 minutes ago, kenny said:

Having heard the details this morning, I doubt he has even read it. It sounds like its a hastily and poorly put together document to hopefully get them out of the hole they have created.

 

Its shambolic.  

 

From the Guardian..

 

 

Presume the north is anything above Rickmansworth too?

[Scanchez]

Anyone who believes anything that comes out of these bastards' mouths needs to give their head a wobble.

[Fox92]

1 hour ago, Scanchez said:

Anyone who believes anything that comes out of these bastards' mouths needs to give their head a wobble.

Announce something - fail to deliver it - announce something else

 

Jokers.

Edited 6 October 2023 by Fox92

[Langley]

On 05/10/2023 at 04:26, Sly said:

Bardon has a patch of land, just off the Birch Tree roundabout, that would be perfect for a railway station and is screaming out for someone to drop some sort of McDonalds, Starbucks etc on it, with the amount of traffic the sight would get, if this gets approved. 

i'm at the davidsons estate - there is a big patch of land next to the tracks perfect for a station there.

[davieG]

County Cllr Craig Smith - Coalville North

  · 

Further to my post yesterday, I’m delighted to confirm the Ivanhoe line will be reopened from Burton to Leicester giving the residents of North West Leicestershire access to the National rail network for the first time since the 1960s

[Paninistickers]

37 minutes ago, davieG said:

County Cllr Craig Smith - Coalville North

  · 

Further to my post yesterday, I’m delighted to confirm the Ivanhoe line will be reopened from Burton to Leicester giving the residents of North West Leicestershire access to the National rail network for the first time since the 1960s

Dreamland. The CRIL campaigner has said as much. 

 

It's the UK doing what the UK always does best. The easiest, cheapest, path-of-least-resistance option. Give 'em a train track to Derby, that'll do. 

[Sly]

On 06/10/2023 at 12:05, Langley said:

i'm at the davidsons estate - there is a big patch of land next to the tracks perfect for a station there.

Ditto! 

[Greg2607]

Mark Harper has confirmed in house of commons that this will be opened to Leicester.