It is good to hear that £55 million will be invested on improving public transport in East Lancashire.

The Government has also said it is committed to improving rail connectivity across the North as one of the main drivers for economic growth.

One scheme to achieve this objective in East Lancashire would be to re-open the Colne to Skipton Railway and upgrade the East Lancashire line with rail and bus Interchanges along the route, which would connect communities across the North between Liverpool and Hull and improve local access to public transport.

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Reader's letter: Re-opening the Colne to Skipton Railway and upgrading the East Lancashire line with rail and bus Interchanges along the route would connect communities across the North between Liverpool and Hull and improve local access to public transport

I believe Lancashire County Council would support such a scheme. In its draft local transport plan, it states that its main focus is on “improving public transport, strengthening east-west travel connections, building infrastructure to support business growth, and enhancing rural accessibility”.

The SELRAP Scheme also has the full support of the business sector in East Lancashire, as it would lead to regeneration and more industry and jobs. I hope that LCC will grant funding from its devolved 2026/7 transport budget for a full engineering study so that this scheme can be implemented.