RIBBLE VALLEY HOTSPOTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH:
By Ged Henderson
GETTING BACK ON TRACK
Our tour of Lancashire’s hotspots took us to the beautiful Ribble Valley. Leaders from business, local government and education came together at Stirk House to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the area
Improved rail links hold the key to unlocking a multi-million pound economic boost to the Ribble Valley.
The challenge remains how to finally deliver those improvements after years of campaigning have led to hopeful signals but no final outcome.
In 2020 there looked to be light at the end of the tunnel for the reopening of the historic Clitheroe to Hellifield rail line to passengers.
Ribble Valley Council was told its bid to the government’s Ideas Fund to work up a business case to reopen the line, axed by Beeching in 1962, and to look at options for increasing rail travel had been successful.
Complementary services were also on the table, including increasing the frequency of trains between Clitheroe and Manchester and a direct route between the town and Preston.
In 2021 an outline business case for reopening the Hellifield line, commissioned by the council, was submitted to the Department of Transport.
It said a passenger service could be reinstated in the short-term with little or no need for additional infrastructure.
And it estimated the potential for 80,000 extra passengers a year if trains from Manchester Victoria to Clitheroe were extended to Hellifield.
It said the restoration of the link would open up opportunities for the valley through improved connectivity to Leeds and Yorkshire to the east and Lancaster and Cumbria to the north. An improved service to Manchester would also have a big positive impact on the economy.
Fast forward to early 2024. Local MPs met the then transport minister to once again press for the potential reinstatement, using funds from the cancelled northern legs of HS2.
Since then, there has been a change of government and the signals have not been positive when it comes to infrastructure projects like this as the new Labour administration looks for savings.
The ‘Restoring Our Railways Scheme’ was SUPPORTED BY:
one of the first things to be axed, although individual projects can be assessed.
Nicola Hopkins, director of economic development and planning at Ribble Valley, says the council is still looking at ways to get the Hellfield commuter line restored, which she says is “intrinsically linked in my mind to improving the connection to Manchester”.
She added: “We’re really pushing the Clitheroe to Hellifield route. The infrastructure is there. We did secure funding a few years ago.
“There has been a change in government and probably a slight change in priorities but getting the Manchester route improved and for our businesses to be able to get to Manchester Airport would be a fabulous thing.”
Infrastructure is a challenge across Ribble Valley given its geography and rural nature but Nicola says: “Rail is where we could really enhance our connectivity.”
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