Skipton to Colne rail line campaigners encouraged by border project

SELRAP, the Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership, held its latest annual general meeting, where its members heard a presentation from Mr Simon Walton who is the chairman of the Campaign for Borders Rail.

Mr Walton told the audience that his group had been campaigning for 20 years to re-open the line from Edinburgh to Carlisle, and that in 2015 the line was re-instated from Edinburgh to Tweedbank and opened by the Queen.

The SELRAP campaign has received cross-party support, locally and nationally. with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling visiting Colne earlier this year to pledge his backing to reinstating the line.

Local campaigners will have been heartened to hear that Mr Walton that while there had been technical challenges to overcome, the reinstament had been a successful project and was helping to regenerate region.

He added that four million passengers have used the line and the campaign continues to extend the route to Carlisle.

SELRAP chairman Mr Peter Bryson also updated members on his presentation last year to MPs in Westminster and that the reopening was technically feasible. He said the group's next meeting will be held on May 19th.

The campaign has not, however, attracted universal support, as residents in Earby living close to the former line have set up an action group opposing the reopening, believing it would adversely affect their lives.