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Opened by the Midland Railway
in 1848, the line between
Skipton and Colne formed part
of a trans-Pennine route linking
the Manchester and the North
West with Leeds, Yorkshire, and
beyond.
The line survived Beeching
intact, but whilst the rest of the
route featured on the list of
lines eligible for subsidy under
the 1968 Transport Act, the 11.5
mile section between Skipton
and Colne did not and was
closed in 1970.
CAMPAIGN
Formed in 2001, the volunteer
group SELRAP has been
campaigning for the re-opening,
of the Skipton (North Yorkshire)
to Colne (East Lancashire)
railway line as part of a new
trans-Pennine route for
passengers and freight.
Reopening the Skipton-Colne
railway will link the economies
of Yorkshire and Humberside,
Leeds, Bradford and the Aire
Valley with those of East
Lancashire, Manchester and its
international airport, Preston
and the Mersey ports beyond.
Regarded as the missing link
between the rail networks of the
North West and Yorkshire, the
map clearly illustrates the need
for the line to be rebuilt.
Existing trans-Pennine routes
are operating at or near
capacity. Reopening the
Skipton-Colne line fits in with
regional transport strategies.
New railways have a track
record of encouraging inward
investment and regeneration.
Rebuilding the line as a through
route will address issues
concerning social inclusion and
connectivity.
Figures reveal that within
and beyond the immediate
corridor of the line car
ownership is well below the
national average. Reopening
the line will also address the
government’s own policies
aimed at developing integrated
and sustainable transport, whilst
cutting road congestion and
delivering accessibility, safer
roads and better air quality.
SUPPORT
Support for the campaign comes
from local business, the media
and the church, local MPs and
regional MEPs from all three
major political parties. At the
time of writing 55 MPs and
seven members of the House of
Lords, including the chair of the
Rail Freight Group, Lord Tony
RMTnews :: june/july 2007 :: www.rmt.org.uk
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CAMPAIGN: David Curry, MP for Skipton and Ripon and, on the right, Gordon Prentice, MP for Pendle, shake hands in support of the campaign on trackbed of former Colne -
Skipton line at Thornton in Craven where it crosses the county boundary between Lancashire and North Yorkshire.
The Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP)
is campaigning to reopen the Skipton to Colne railway
REOPENING R