Campaign launched to reopen Yorkshire-Lancashire rail link

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 15:02 · Archive

A petition to reopen the Skipton-Colne railway line, closed in 1970, has been signed by nearly 600 people.

A petition calling for the reopening of the Skipton-Colne railway line between Yorkshire and Lancashire has been signed by nearly 600 people within hours of going live. The campaign group Skipton East Lancashire Railway Partnership (SELRAP) is aiming to reach 1,000 signatures before presenting the petition to Parliament next year.

The 12-mile missing link was closed in 1970. Last year it was estimated to cost around £430 million to reinstate. If reopened, the line would create a direct route from Keighley, Bradford and Skipton into East Lancashire, boosting economic and education opportunities, according to campaigners. The petition was launched near Thornton-in-Craven on the Lancashire-North Yorkshire border, attended by MPs, local authority councillors, business leaders, police, the mayors of Skipton and Pendle, and transport campaigners.

George Fry, a student from Colne who started the petition, said the reopening would be transformational. 'For young people without a car in East Lancashire, getting to Yorkshire is a real struggle,' he said. 'For the sake of the environment, having a car should not be a necessity to make a success of our lives. It's vital to kickstart growth, particularly in east Lancashire boroughs blighted by growing levels of poverty, such as Pendle.'

How it is being reported

• 'It’s time to improve Keighley’s rail access to our near neighbours in Lancashire'A PETITION calling on the re-opening of the Skipton-Colne railway has already been signed by nearly 600 people.Keighley News · 19 Oct, 13:32
• New petition to reopen 'missing rail link' launched on Yorkshire-Lancashire borderA PETITION calling on the re-opening of the Skipton-Colne railway has already been signed by nearly 600 people.Telegraph & Argus · 19 Oct, 12:29

In this story: Skipton East Lancashire Railway Partnership · Skipton · Colne · Keighley · Bradford · Pendle · George Fry

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