Rail campaign group SELRAP urges Government to include the reinstatement of the Skipton to Colne railway in new review

The group said in August it believed several big communities in East Lancashire – especially Pendle and Burnley – has been shunted aside, by a new government study.

SELRAP (Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership) which has been campaigning to reopen the Skipton to Colne railway line, made the statment after studying Transport for the North’s (TfN) latest strategy.

SELRAP chairman Peter Bryson said: “East Lancashire has some of the highest and worsening indices of multiple deprivation in England and this must be recognised in any Levelling Up programme.

“Restoring the Skipton to Colne railway would open up a new, strategic trans-Pennine route linking deprived East Lancashire with the powerhouse cities of Leeds and Bradford.”

Campaigners believe that the ‘red wall’ Conservative MPs in the area are strong supporters who have been pressing the Government to get on with it.

And in July ) members met with Labour’s Louise Haigh MP in a meeting and presentation arranged by John Grogan, the prospective Labour candidate for Keighley and Ilkley.

Mr Bryson added: “If ever there was an infrastructure project to level up deprived communities, then Skipton to Colne is it. It can be delivered sooner than any other similar project and is urgently needed to reverse the decline in East Lancashire. It’s time to Level Up and for East Lancashire’s voice to be heard.”