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| Middlewich Station 1959 - Salt Town Productions/Middlewich Rail Link Campaign |
CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL
BACKS
MIDDLEWICH
RAIL LINK PLAN
RAIL LINK PLAN
The Middlewich Rail Link Campaign has welcomed the news that the local transport authority, Cheshire East Council, has thrown its support behind plans to re-open the Sandbach-Middlewich-Northwich line to passengers and to build a new station in Middlewich.
Following a very successful meeting between MRLC members Stephen Dent and Cllr Mike Parsons and representatives of the council it emerged that Cheshire East is '100% behind the project' and would work together with our MP Fiona Bruce to try to obtain funding for the scheme from the new £20 million government grant scheme for new stations.
It was felt that this avenue was worth exploring, despite the fact that the Middlewich scheme is not 'shovel ready', to use the government's own phrase, because the Transport Minister has already had encouraging discussions with Fiona Bruce on the subject.
If money is not forthcoming from this source there are, of course, other funding opportunites to be considered and, to this end, Cheshire East is prepared to take the issue forward by arranging a meeting between Network Rail, the Railway Consultancy Ltd (authors of the 2009 report)and other interested parties.
The Cheshire East representatives showed enthusiasm for the 'potential for economic growth which the project would bring to the area through its logistical and strategic positioning' and would ensure that the scheme is endorsed within the Council's local transport plan. The council would also ask the Railway Consultancy to update the 2009 report to take account of recent developments including plans for the HS2 link which further strengthens the argument for our scheme.
Cheshire East has studied the 2009 report and concluded that the scheme is 'a very worthwhile project drawn up at a realistic cost'.
MRLC would like to place on record its thanks to Cheshire East Council for this very encouraging endorsement of the Middlewich scheme, and to Mike Parsons and Stephen Dent and everyone else who has worked so hard to get us to this stage.
Dave Roberts,
Chairman,
Middlewich Rail Link Campaign
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| Tireless Campaigners: Cllr Mike Parsons and Stephen Dent. Photo courtesy of Stephen Dent. |
Dave Roberts,
Chairman,
Middlewich Rail Link Campaign
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| The site for the proposed new Middlewich Station. The Holmes Chapel Road bridge is on the right of the picture |
Very exciting development!! What's the next step?
ReplyDeleteThe next step is Fiona Bruce and Cheshire East making that application to the New Stations Fund. If we don't get money from that source Cheshire East plan to hold a meeting of all interested parties (including Network Rail)to talk about funding from other sources and how the scheme can move forward.
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