RGF bid submitted for Todmorden Curve
Property company Barnfield has joined with Network Rail and Burnley Council to submit a bid for £8m from the Regional Growth Fund to pay for the reopening of a key rail link between east Lancashire and Manchester.
In May, Network Rail said it had completed a detailed feasibility study and that services could be running again on the line between Burnley and Manchester by2014.
The 500-metre stretch of track has not been used since the 1960s. Reopening the track would cut journey times between east Lancashire and Manchester to 40 minutes. Passengers travelling today must change at Hebden Bridge, Blackburn, Preston, or use the Witch Way bus service, all of which take in excess of one hour.
The project is backed by members of Burnley Bondholders, a consortium of 50 businesses from the Burnley area that has been successfully working to transform perceptions of the town and to encourage inward investment.
Confirmation of the bid was made at the Burnley Business & Innovation Awards 2011 ceremony held on Thursday night at Towneley Hall.
Among the winners were Paul Dawson, managing director of Anvic Developments, with a special award for his long-standing contribution to business in the area. Usha Indian Restaurant was named visitor economy business of the year and Crow Wood Leisure equestrian centre won the environmental and sustainability award.
The awards were organised by Burnley Council and attended by more than 400 people.
£8m to reduce journey times by 33%, making Burnley commutable to and from Manchester in 40 minutes. How has it taken this long to get sorted? Fingers crossed the RGF money gets agreed with much haste.
By boywonder
£16,000 per linear metre to lay railway track – I’m in the wrong business!
By Mr Beeching
Mr Beeching; you’ve missed out signalling, structures and other associated assets there. You can boil down the costs per ‘linear metre’ of track, but ignoring the requirements of other assets isn’t really taking account of the whole project. Yes, you might be in the wrong business; just don’t decide to become an ‘estimator’, you might get far wide of the mark!!
By A Railway Planner
tod curve, colne/skipton now woodhead bring them on.
By steve