The Campaign to Re-Open The Ivanhoe Line

[Lako42]

14 hours ago, Greg2607 said:

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

Doesn't matter what anyone says anywhere. 

 

I'll only believe it when the 1st train runs. 

 

 

This country talks it doesn't do 

[davieG]

15 hours ago, Greg2607 said:

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

We're likely to have a different government by the time it comes to nailing it down, in fact with the need to buy/compulsorily purchase land, move people out and rebuild the bend into Leicester they'll probably be more than one change of government. It's  easier to cancel than it is to give the go ahead for these projects as there's always a justification to save money for more important things

[davieG]

 

 

Campaign for the Reopening of the Ivanhoe Line (CRIL)

Douglas McLay  ·   · 

 

 

GETTING TO LEICESTER - THE FULL STORY!

This article was triggered by the considerable discussion on our Facebook Page about the government's decision not to reopen the whole of the Ivanhoe Line as part of the Restoring your Railways Programme. Lots of questions were asked and many comments made expressing all sorts of viewpoints.

OVERVIEW

The DfT announcement that they were going to concentrate on the re-opening of the Burton to Coalville section of the Ivanhoe Line by instigating a Derby to Coalville service caused a lot of discussion and raised many questions about the what, why and when. The purpose of this article is to explain what this decision means and what is behind it.

The first thing to say is that CRIL remains committed to getting the whole line from Burton mainline station to Leicester mainline station reopened. However we believe that the partial reopening of the line could be the catalyst to get the whole line reopened. Something is better than nothing.

RESTORING YOUR RAILWAYS PROGRAMME

The Restoring Your Railways Programme (RYR) is an opportunity to get government funding for reopening the line. Frankly it is difficult to see where else we could have raised the funding from. Our local councils, whilst very supportive of the scheme, are in no position to fund it. Matters are further complicated by the fact that the line serves the areas of four tier 1 local authorities.

The RYR programme is a political initiative. Like it or not such political initiatives from governments of all colours come with political objectives which must be achieved to release funding. The RYR Programme is a levelling up initiative and as such the government wants to invest in schemes which will be underway (on a firm timetable to deliver specified benefits) before the next election.

After the whole HS2 experience all government programmes they must have a high level of certainty that they can be delivered within the allocated budget. So for the Ivanhoe Line to be included in the RYR programme it must demonstrate that what is planned can be delivered in the required timescale and within the available budget.

DERBY TO COALVILLE

The costs and benefits of opening a passenger service from Derby to Coalville are well understood and Network Rail have a good level of confidence that these can be delivered within the required timeframe and available budget. The work on the line is limited in scope because the line is already double tracked (apart from the single track bridge over the A42) and it is so lightly used that closing it for the duration of the work is possible. This would mean it can be carried out very efficiently. The extension to Derby minimises the amount of work required at Burton station because turnarounds, crew changing and train stabling would be carried out at Derby where such facilities already exist.

COALVILLE TO LEICESTER

It is useful to consider the extension from Coalville to Leicester in two parts. Firstly there is the section from Coalville to Leicester South (the proposed station near the Kingpower Stadium) and finally the restoral of the Knighton North Curve and the run into Leicester Main Line via the Midland Mainline.

Coalville to Leicester South

The first part is quite well understood, however the work is more complex than the Burton to Coalville section. This is because the existing line is single track and it will need to be realigned and doubled. There is enough freight traffic running from the quarries to the mainline to prevent Network Rail from closing the line for an extended period which will put up the cost and the time taken to carry it out. These factors mean that this could not be achieved within the RYR timescales and budget.

Leicester South to Leicester Mainline

The third part from Leicester South into Leicester Mainline is both the shortest and the most difficult part. There are two things to consider. Firstly the restoral of the North Curve at Knighton, and secondly the connection to the mainline.

The restoral of the North Curve will require the acquisition of the old track bed and then restoring the formation and laying the track. It's not far. The freehold of the old track bed land is now owned by Leicester City Council. The land is leased out to a property agent who built the light industrial units which are on the site. The new police station car park does impinge on the track at an extreme corner, but there is plenty of scope to replace the lost car parking spaces if the other tenants are relocated. In short it is doable at reasonable cost but the acquisition of the land could be a lengthy process.

The connection to the Midland Main Line (MML) is more problematic. In our SOBC we identified that the MML would need to be realigned to allow an additional track to be restored for the run into Leicester Mainline Station. This would be an expensive task and cause huge disruption to the MML over a considerable period. Very difficult to justify. However we are aware that there is a proposed scheme to remodel the approaches to the southern end of the station as part of increasing MML capacity and/or the electrification of the MML through Leicester. The scheme design we have seen would enable our requirements to be met by a small modification to this scheme.

The most realistic solution to the issue would seem to be to implement the restoral of the Knighton Curve and connect it to the MML when the realignment takes place.

PRIME MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY CONFERENCE

In his recent speech to the Conservative Party conference the Prime Minister announced that the Ivanhoe Line would be reopened from Burton to Leicester. We understand that this means that if the Full Business Case supports the scheme from Derby to Coalville then Network Rail would have the funding to reopen in 2025/26.

At this stage it is unclear what the announcement means for the full reopening to Leicester. However for the reasons explained above CRIL is clear that the scope of work to reopen beyond Coalville is significant Irrespective of whether the necessary funding becomes available this work could not be completed in the RYR timeframes. The promise made in the speech to implement a Midlands Railway Hub seems to include schemes which would require the realignment of the MML south of Leicester.

However it may be that a phased approach will be adopted so the current scheme is delivered as described above and that further Development Stages are started for the work needed to re-open all the way to Leicester mainline. This would give the full reopening some status in government and Network Rail and provide a focus for CRILs future campaigning

SUMMARY

Reopening the line to Coalville is relatively straightforward and can be achieved within the RYR timeframes and budget. The prospects of this being approved and funded are good, especially following the Prime Ministers recent announcement.

The extension to Leicester South is also possible to achieve but not within the RYR timetable and budget, The connection into the mainline station is a longer term job because of the extensive preparation time to acquire land and the need to synchronise the work with the planned, but as yet unfunded, upgrade to the MML.

CRIL are determined to get the whole line reopened. However we do not want to jeopardise the partial reopening by delaying the work starting with a controversy about it. This partial reopening will provide a focus for the ongoing campaign and real life evidence of the benefits of a passenger railway service in the corridor.

We plan to use the Prime Ministers statement as a lever to push for a phased implementation of the reopening with the Development stage for the following phases whilst the first phase is implemented.

Please note. CRIL is an apolitical organisation with no affiliation to any political party, but will work with a government of any political pursuation. This page is not an appropriate place to make political points, and any such comments will be removed.

[davieG]

Extending the Ivanhoe line restoration to Leicester could cost additional £271M

 

 

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/extending-the-ivanhoe-line-restoration-to-leicester-could-cost-additional-271m-09-11-2023/?fbclid=IwAR3dz0CejbTR0qAKq7VtPjQBlHMCf7jlYBDLv79dYep8AfDxuFpy39CVpOg

 

 

I still believe it would be very beneficial to take it as far as the KP with the football, rugby, LRI, Cricket all within a decent distance without the significant cost of reinstating the curve to London Road Station.

[Lako42]

Spend the money ffs. 

 

Country is in the dark ages compared to other European nations with decent rail networks

[Unabomber]

Every update doesn’t really say much. How about they just get on and make this happen.

[Lako42]

5 hours ago, Unabomber said:

Every update doesn’t really say much. How about they just get on and make this happen.

Wrong country 

[Paninistickers]

If the freight carrying all that quarry stone can operate without the knighton curve, why can't a passenger train? Surely all that freight don't only go southwards? 

 

The councils - city, county and NW Leicestershire - should get involved here to bulldoze  this through

[davieG]

Someone posted this on my Facebook page in reply to my comment about the City, Tigers etc using this. If this is true then I really don't see a massive justification for it. But knowing how things are usually done it'll probably be available for the Tigers and not the City.

 

Unfortunately, it would be impossible for trains to service LCFC or Tigers traffic. Trains will probably be 2 car units and therefore would not have the necessary capacity. It's unlikely that trains would be strengthened on match days - they aren't anywhere else in the country. Look at the Rocoh Arena, Coventry. The station servicing the stadium used to be closed on match days for fears of overcrowding! Ridiculous, I know.

[Balders65]

56 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

If the freight carrying all that quarry stone can operate without the knighton curve, why can't a passenger train? Surely all that freight don't only go southwards? 

 

The councils - city, county and NW Leicestershire - should get involved here to bulldoze  this through

Because  the freight goes into the sidings at Knighton, it then detaches the loco from one end then does a manoeuvre to get back to the other end, recouples then heads towards Leicester. Not a manoeuvre that is done by passenger services due to time constraints and safety concerns.

[Paninistickers]

32 minutes ago, Balders65 said:

Because  the freight goes into the sidings at Knighton, it then detaches the loco from one end then does a manoeuvre to get back to the other end, recouples then heads towards Leicester. Not a manoeuvre that is done by passenger services due to time constraints and safety concerns.

Obvs not an engine man but I've 100% been into leicester station from london from the north side (via Corby, Oakham detour) and then it depart northwards, with the driver swapping ends. Surely a similar manoeuvre would be doable 

[The Syrup]

29 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Obvs not an engine man but I've 100% been into leicester station from london from the north side (via Corby, Oakham detour) and then it depart northwards, with the driver swapping ends. Surely a similar manoeuvre would be doable 

Its all down to if there is any available space to do the reversal on the mainline away from a station. Passenger trains get reversed almost exclusively at a station, like the one you mention where trains get diverted via Oakham and Corby, or just at a terminus station. I believe there is only one passenger service in the country that has to a reversal away from a station, and thats on a single track branch line in Cornwall (the line to Looe). No technical reason why it can't be done here, passenger trains have a cab at each end after all. All down to the timetable and line capacity through Leicester.

[Guest Sideshow Faes]

11 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Spend the money ffs. 

 

Country is in the dark ages compared to other European nations with decent rail networks

This.

 

We're so backwards here.

 

Constantly banging on about the cost of things as if that money isn't going to construction businesses, workers, supply chain, logistics, food stalls etc etc

 

Unless the money is going to bankers or London it never gets spent. 

[Balders65]

1 hour ago, Paninistickers said:

Obvs not an engine man but I've 100% been into leicester station from london from the north side (via Corby, Oakham detour) and then it depart northwards, with the driver swapping ends. Surely a similar manoeuvre would be doable 

Yes it can be done in a station environment no issues, however the sidings at Knighton are not set up for passenger services. 

[Paninistickers]

34 minutes ago, Balders65 said:

Yes it can be done in a station environment no issues, however the sidings at Knighton are not set up for passenger services. 

As a layman, it would seem quicker and cheaper to remodel the sidings at knighton than rebuild the northern spur. Then lay a third track down as the 'slow lane' for that final stretch to Leicester station alongside the midland mainline. 

 

The councils could offer to take on that cost making the project business viable

 

Hard to believe an entire national rail network was essentially set up from scratch to everything (and more) we have today in a 30-50 year period. Tunnels, bridges, stations, depots, sidings, viaducts - land acquired, technology developed, designed and built and ready for use...yet nowadays a minor upgrade of an existing track takes well over a decade

 

 

[davieG]

18 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

As a layman, it would seem quicker and cheaper to remodel the sidings at knighton than rebuild the northern spur. Then lay a third track down as the 'slow lane' for that final stretch to Leicester station alongside the midland mainline. 

 

The councils could offer to take on that cost making the project business viable

 

Hard to believe an entire national rail network was essentially set up from scratch to everything (and more) we have today in a 30-50 year period. Tunnels, bridges, stations, depots, sidings, viaducts - land acquired, technology developed, designed and built and ready for use...yet nowadays a minor upgrade of an existing track takes well over a decade

 

 

Look how long it’s taking the council to put cycle lane down Saffron Road, it must be at least 9 months

[davieG]

[Paninistickers]

11 hours ago, davieG said:

I don't have any idea of the etiquette in acquiring government funding, but that letter seems very limp. You can tell these people have never worked in business. 

 

Where's the urgency?. What's the next step (the letter cedes control of the situation to government)?  Where's the suggestions of pots of finance?  Why no buzzwords ticked like NW Leicestershire  will help 'secure private investment'? 

[Greg2607]

CRIL are advocating that the line is re-opened just to Coalville and then through to Derby. 

 

But NW Leicestershire council have voted to push for the whole line to be opened. or none at all. 

 

It may well be the case that Network Rail still push forward with a partial re-opening, as there is a general consensus that once the line is part opened, it will be easier to build the business case for a full re-opening afterwards. 

 

hopefully the council get on board, but it sounds like they want an all or nothing approach given the HS2 announcements and the Ivanhoe line being specifically called out. 

 

Here's the kicker though.... 

 

The current campaign, is centered around the "Restoring your railway fund".... and to secure that investment, even for a part opening, the project needs to be agreed and started before the next election. 

 

so I think the liklehood of this happening is diminishing all the time. 

[Lako42]

It won't happen at all. 

 

We all know it 

[Paninistickers]

When was the last time Leicester / Leicestershire had any major infrastructure investment from central government? 

 

I think the Bede Island area was done by City challenge but I wouldn't call that infrastructure. I guess prior to that was the 1960s ring road vandalism. Anything else has been small pots here and there to tart up paving stones, smooth out road junctions or build cycle lanes - nothing major. 

 

Nottingham and Sheffield got hundreds of millions for the tram network but they used private finance initiative to top up the government money. Salford Quays done up courtesy of government money. Albert Dock. Cardiff docks. Why don't we go balls deep with an idea and get hold of some money? 

[davieG]

On 23/11/2023 at 10:09, davieG said:

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/ivanhoe-line-link-leicester-not-8943393

 

Ivanhoe Line link to Leicester not ruled out by Government despite £271 million cost
The proposed revived line is only set to run to Derby with stations at Coalville and Ashby

ByLee GarrettReporter
14:24, 30 NOV 2023

Ivanhoe Line Coalville CRIL Network Rail Department for Transport Ashby Church Gresley Burton Derby Leicester
The Ivanhoe Line has not served passengers since the 1960s (Image: Lee Garrett/Leicester Mercury)

The Government says it has not ruled out a Coalville to Leicester link on a revived railway line. There had been concerns that the Ivanhoe Line project could fall short of its final destination, but ministers say the full route is being explored.

The line, which closed down as part of the Beeching Cuts of the 1960s, is awaiting full Government approval, but the Campaign to Reopen the Ivanhoe Line (CRIL) has helped to bring the project closer to fruition. As it stands, the line is set to return on a route running from Coalville to Derby, with the first passengers touted for 2026.

That sparked some concern from councillors from North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) who feared a missing Leicester link would mean the whole district would not benefit. The council wrote to Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, to raise their concerns.

 

Transport Minister Huw Merriman responded in a letter to the councillors, about the scheme's progress. He wrote: “The Ivanhoe Line project is currently focusing on the reinstatement of services between Derby and Coalville, which will reconnect all the main areas of population in the corridor and is likely to be deliverable the fastest.

"My Department is currently considering how an extension of this service from Coalville to Leicester is best progressed. This will also examine whether additional stations will be delivered on this route section.”

Councillor Michael Wyatt, the district council’s deputy leader, welcomed the news. He said: “I’m delighted the minister has replied so quickly to our concerns about the Coalville to Leicester link. Not delivering the whole line would be a missed opportunity especially when businesses are looking for greater commercial opportunities and we know the public want to travel between Coalville and Leicester.”

Earlier this month, Network Rail revealed that work to make Coalville to Leicester possible would cost an additional £271 million. This money would be split into two phases, with the first spent on doubling the current single-track line between Bagworth Junction and Leicester South. The second portion would be spent on the construction of a newly-built Leicester South Station.

Despite the immense cost involved, NWLDC believes that without a Leicester link, the Ivanhoe Line is not complete. In their letter to Mr Harper calling for clarity, the authority also pressed for a feasibility study into including a station at Moira alongside the already touted Coalville, Ashby and Church Gresley stations. It is a move NWLDC said would boost the district’s tourism and allow more people to use the line.

A business case on the Burton to Coalville section of the Ivanhoe Line is in the hands of the Government. It will be decided at a later date.

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/revived-ivanhoe-line-link-leicester-8971828

 

Revived Ivanhoe Line link to Leicester could see station near King Power Stadium
Campaigners have also touted links to London with the focus currently on connecting Coalville to Derby

ByLee GarrettReporter
13:24, 13 DEC 2023

A new Leicester station for a fully revived Ivanhoe Line would be located near the King Power Stadium. Campaigners say making this final phase a reality is the “most difficult” and expensive part, but will keep pressing ahead with their plan.

The developments were revealed by Douglas McLay, spokesman for the Campaign to Reopen the Ivanhoe Line (CRIL), who have spearheaded the Ivanhoe Line’s revival. If approved by the Government, passenger services will first return on the line between Coalville and Derby, with stops at Ashby, Castle Gresley and Burton. Ultimately, CRIL wants to connect Coalville with Leicester, but major infrastructure costs totalling more than £270 million stand in their way.

Despite that, plans for the Leicester link have been revealed, with CRIL saying a new Leicester South station linking the city with Coalville would be sited around Leicester City’s King Power Stadium. From there, a link with Leicester Railway Station would be created, but immense costs are predicted due to links with the Midland Main Line.

Speaking before North West Leicestershire District Council’s (NWLDC) Community Scrutiny Committee, Mr McLay said: “The biggest problem is that we will need a new track alongside the Midland Main Line into Leicester station. That will be very expensive to do and very difficult to do because it will involve shutting the Midland Main Line.”

 

As things stand, the project is split into three phases. The first covers the Coalville to Derby link - a move that would see a temporary shut down of the existing line to fill a missing section of track across the A42. The second link would then focus on securing Coalville’s link to the newly created Leicester South station near the Foxes home ground.

This would then be followed by what Mr McLay called the “most difficult” part - the link to the Midland Main Line. He was unable to give a timeline on any potential shut down linked to this part of the project, but told NWLDC that existing plans to redevelop the city’s railway station would make it possible even if it was difficult.

He said: “I have seen plans to remodel the station and increase its capacity. It’s nothing to do with the Ivanhoe Line, it’s something [Leicester City Council] were always going to do as part of efforts to increase capacity on the Midland Main Line. From the plans I’ve seen it would be very easy to adjust and adapt them. [Engineers] confirmed to me it wouldn’t be difficult at this stage either to alter it and incorporate the Ivanhoe Line.”

Ivanhoe Line CRIL Coalville Ashby Castle Gresley Burton Derby Leicester Network Rail
A restored Ivanhoe Line will only run as far as Coalville according to current plans (Image: Lee Garrett/Leicester Mercury)
Leicester South’s station would need to be constructed from scratch on land currently leased out to industrial units in the area. Double tracks to ensure it is operational and able to link with the Midland Main Line would follow, but Mr McLay believed that the Leicester South link could open up Leicestershire to the capital.

He said: “If we do get as far as Leicester South, it would be possible to run trains to London. It wouldn’t go through Leicester, but there have been instances where communities have managed to get train companies to run a morning and evening service to London. Shrewsbury is one of them. It would be a good commute.”

For now, efforts on getting the Coalville to Derby link up and running are ongoing. A full outline business case is set to be published by the end of the year, with a decision then left with the Transport Secretary on the line’s full revival. Mr McLay has previously said CRIL will continue to campaign to get to Leicester and secure these new links, but for now, the aim was ensuring Coalville to Derby was full steam ahead.

He said: “We very much believe we should take what we’ve been offered because apart from the fact it would provide benefits right away, it would also bash on the head the myth that ‘this’ll never happen, the line will never open’.

“If it’s opened a bit, it shows it can be done. Until it gets onto Leicester main line, we will never give up campaigning on the Leicester link.”

[Lcfc82]

The phase one part of this is the only bit that has any chance of happening.

[Paninistickers]

Just been reading that the great central railway are about ready to link up the Leicester and Nottingham sections (I didn't know Nottingham had a working section tbh) 

 

Point being, how on earth can a few fuddy duddy railway enthusiasts build and maintain a 30 odd mile line yet with nothing but charity donations yet Network Rail reckons it'd cost £272m quid upgrading an existing line from Coalville to Leicester? 

 

Edit 5m quid it cost them, raised through donations. What a mess this country is in, being quoted 272m FFS

Edited 20 December 2023 by Paninistickers