Skipton to Colne railway line gains cross-party support before general election

The Skipton to Colne rail project runs through key “Red Wall” constituencies.

Since the election was announced, SELRAP has contacted all the prospective candidates, and says it has now received support from almost all candidates.

SELRAP’s chairman Peter Bryson said: “All of the former Members of Parliament along the route all fully supported this vital project. All wanted it delivered quickly. Therefore, we will be urging all our new MPs to impress on the incoming government the importance of rapidly mobilising this key project.”

SELRAP is campaigning to restore the 12-mile long Skipton to Colne railway.

The project would give several very large communities transformational transport links; in particular by providing fast links to the northern powerhouse cities of Leeds and Bradford for education and employment opportunities.

The new route would serve Accrington, Burnley and Pendle; three large areas with a combined population of over quarter of a million people.

The Department for Transport and Network Rail has already developed a sound business case for the Skipton to Colne project. This would cost £300m. or around 1% of the government’s planned spending for the Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Of more than 300 councils in England, four of the five council areas along the route are in the most deprived 10%, with three out of the five being in the most deprived 5%.