“New tracks would mean better service regardless of HS2 plans say campaigners”

Posted on October 30, 2014 by admin

Strictly speaking the report referred to doesn’t contain any proposals, just reinforcement of the argument that east-west rail links need to be improved. Any comments about what form “HS3” might take, and whether it is passing through our parish, are no more than speculation.

 

[From the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 27th October 2014]

Train journey times between northern English cities could be slashed under proposals put forward today by the boss of the £50 billion HS2 high-speed rail project.

The improvements would cover an east-west section of northern England and would be in addition to the north-of-Birmingham phase two of HS2 which will see a Y-shaped route going to Manchester and Leeds.

It could mean journey times for the transPennine services could be cut in half.

But while welcoming the proposals, a Huddersfield rail users’ spokesman sounded a note of caution.

Peter Marshall, who chairs the Huddersfield Penistone Sheffield Rail Users Group, said the idea of high-speed links would certainly benefit the northern economy and boost the jobs market.

But he added:

“For Huddersfield, we need a stopping service. High-speed trains between Leeds and Manchester would not stop at the stations in between.

“We need them to look at reverting back to the old four-track system on the line, so that the new faster trains could overtake the slower, stopping trains, enabling everyone to benefit.

“We are delighted they have realised that the east-west links are just as important as the north-south links”.

HS2 Ltd chairman Sir David Higgins said northern connectivity plans – dubbed “HS3” and backed by Chancellor George Osborne – would be “as important to the north of England as Crossrail is for London”.

Put forward in a report from Sir David today, the plans, if carried forward, would mean journey times between Leeds and Manchester could almost be cut in almost half while journeys between Leeds and Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield Meadowhall, York and Birmingham and Nottingham to Birmingham could also be reduced by a half or more, and many more journeys across the country substantially shortened.

Phase one of HS2 involves a new high-speed line from Euston in London passing through Tory heartlands in the Chilterns to Birmingham, with an expected completion date of 2026.

Phase two was originally scheduled to be completed in 2032/33, although Sir David is keen for this date to be brought forward.

Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“Improving connectivity and reducing journey times between our great northern cities is a crucial part of our long-term economic plan for the north to boost businesses and create more jobs and security for hard-working people. That’s why we are backing HS3.

“I welcome Sir David Higgins’ report which will help our work to create a northern powerhouse and ensure that HS2 delivers the maximum economic benefits.”

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/new-tracks-would-mean-better-8000977

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“Marsden Real Ale Trail campaigner calls for mounted police come back to tackle increase in offensive language, bottle throwing and public urination”

Posted on September 29, 2014 by admin

[from the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Monday 29th September]

A Marsden resident has called for the re-introduction of mounted police to tackle an increase in anti-social behaviour on the real ale trail she said has become “too awful to bear.”

Community campaigner Wendy Crowther also wants to see the closure of a beer garden and a lager ban on Saturdays to stop swearing, bottle-throwing and public urination that has got so ‘ridiculous’ in her neighbourhood this summer that her grandchildren can no longer stay at the house on the weekend.

It comes after officers arrested a woman on Saturday as part of their Ale Trail work.

Kirklees Rural police said:

“A female was arrested on the train station by a Rural Officer this evening after she was seen having a wee on the platform by several members of the public.

“The female was being spoken to by the Officer about her behaviour when she became abusive and violent. She was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and will be receiving a fine.”

Wendy, who lives near to the Railway Pub, was one of the co-founders of the Off The Rails action group and neighbourhood watch in a bid to reduce the problem behaviour that became prevalent in the village three years ago.

She said:

“It’s got to the stage on Saturdays where the noise, bad language and behaviour has just become awful. There is so much effing and blinding that I can’t let my grand kids stay at the house on Saturdays any longer.

“We also get people publicly weeing nearby and my neighbours have bottles thrown into their gardens quite regularly.”

She wants to see police horses make a comeback on the streets at peak times of the trail which were used by the West Yorkshire force in a co-ordinated crackdown last year and for The Railway’s owners, Marstons PLC, to keep the beer garden closed on Saturdays and to install a high fence around the area to prevent dangerous objects being thrown.

Wendy, 55, said:

“The police horses had a real calming effect on the village last year and we were told by the force at a meeting in May that they would look into bringing them back this year but so far we’ve seen nothing, even though the problems have got worse over the summer.

“It doesn’t make any difference if we tell people on the trail to be more respectful ourselves.

“I hope the horses come back this year ahead of the Christmas party season and would like to see the fence put up and a ban on lager to be put in place again at village pubs.

“We don’t want to stop the trail but we want people on it to not behave in a manner that’s disruptive or offensive to residents.”

Her views were shared by Liberal Democrat councillor Nicola Turner and Conservative councillor Donna Bellamy. Clr Turner said:

“We are going to continue to work together as residents, pub landlords, councillors and police to try stop all anti-social behaviour so that people can enjoy what is a great day out appreciating local ales.”

A spokesman for the Railway Pub said that there were currently no plans to install a fence or reconsider the beer garden’s opening times.

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An arrest on the Ale Trail

Posted on September 29, 2014 by admin

At last, an arrest on the ale trail and not before time. Now please can the police get the message out that misbehaving on the ale trail can land you with a criminal record, which we’re told really makes a mess of your CV.

[posted by West Yorkshire Police on Saturday 27th September]

We have had Officers on the Ale Trail this afternoon. A female was arrested on the train station by a Rural Officer this evening after she was seen having a wee on the platform by several members of the public. The female was being spoken to by the Officer about her behaviour when she became abusive and violent. She was arrested for being Drunk & Disorderly and will be receiving a fine.

If you do go on the Ale Trail – please make use of the toilets in the pubs you visit, not platforms, trains tracks, bushes, residents gardens, pavements or bus shelters…..

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“RMT launches new wave of rail protests across the North”

Posted on September 3, 2014 by admin

[Press release from the RMT union, 2 September 2014]

As part of the on-going RMT campaign against cuts to jobs and services, bound up in the Government’s proposals for the future of the Northern and Trans-Pennine Express franchises, the union is launching a new phase of the fightback on Monday 8th September, the day that Northern axes a whole range of off-peak fares. RMT is pointing out to passengers that the shock fare increases are a taste of what’s to come under the new Northern and Trans-Pennine Express franchises. The union has slammed the Government and Northern Rail for secretly colluding to axe the off-peak fares from Monday purely in the name of private profit. RMT has blasted the moves as “a kick in the teeth for the travelling public and a taste of what’s around the corner under the new Northern and Trans-Pennine Express franchises if the community don’t stand alongside rail workers in the fight to stop the destruction of rail services right across the North”.

A new postcard, following on from the 10,000 cards collected in opposition to the plans under the franchise consultation, will be distributed from Monday with the public urged to pressure MP’s to sign EDM 174, opposing the Northern and Trans-Pennine Express proposals, and calling for Councillors and Local Authorities to register their opposition.

The cards will be distributed at the following locations:

  • STOCKPORT MONDAY 8th September 2014 – 7.30am – 9.30am – Meet outside Stockport Station
  • WIGAN WALLGATE MONDAY 8th September 2014 – 7.30am -9.30am – Meet outside Wigan Wallgate Station
  • MANCHESTER VICTORIA MONDAY 8th September 2014 – 7.30am – 9.30am – Meet outside Manchester Victoria Station
  • LIVERPOOL LIME STREET MONDAY 8th September 2014 – 7.30am – 9.30am – Meet Outside Liverpool Lime Street Station
  • STEETON & SILSDEN MONDAY 8th September 2014 – 9.15am – 11am – Meet outside Steeton and Silsden Station
  • MANCHESTER PICCADILLY MONDAY 8th September 2014 – 10am – 12noon – Meet at the bottom of the approach entrance to Manchester Piccadilly Station – Nr Cafe Nero.
  • LEEDS CITY STATION MONDAY 8th September 2014 – 4pm – 6pm – Meet Outside Leeds City Station (***WELLINGTON STREET, ENTRANCE)
  • SHEFFIELD MONDAY 8th September 2014 – 4pm – 6pm – Meet outside Sheffield Station
  • LANCASTER MONDAY 8th September 2014 – 4pm – 6pm – Meet outside Lancaster Station
  • DONCASTER TUESDAY 9th September 2014 – 7am – 9am – Meet outside Doncaster Station
  • PRESTON TUESDAY 9th September 2014 – 7am – 9am – Meet Outside Preston Station (Butler Street Entrance)

Further events will be added in the coming weeks and follow nearly 50 events organised by RMT during the formal consultation period compared to a pitiful 5 organised by the Department for Transport and their cheerleaders in the shadowy “Rail North” organisation. Under the fares plans, from the 8th September off-peak tickets can no longer be used during key times on weekday evenings. The abolition of the off-peak evening fares will apply to the following areas:

  • Travel South Yorkshire
  • Transport for Greater Manchester
  • Metro West Yorkshire
  • Routes radiating out of the above areas
  • The Hexham-Newcastle line

Northern Rail have confirmed that the axing of the off-peak fares is simply about money:

“The changes are being made after the Department of Transport asked Northern to look at several options to generate additional revenue as part of its new franchise agreement.”

– Northern Rail internal circular.

RMT Acting General Secretary Mick Cash said:

“The axing of off-peak fares is a savage kick in the teeth for people already struggling with the burden of low pay and austerity and the fact that it has been cooked up by the Department for Transport in collusion with the privatisation pirates from Northern Rail is a warning of what’s to come. RMT is giving the people who use the rail services an opportunity to have their say.

 

“Let’s not forget that the core of the Government’s future plans for Northern and TPE is to axe jobs, throw the guards off the trains and jack up fares while capacity to meet surging rail demand in the area is left to stagnate. That attack on the fare-paying public has already begun and only an all-out and coordinated fight can stop the savage assault on rail in the North.

 

“RMT is now launching the next phase of the fight to both inform the public and fight the savage cuts being lined up for these Northern rail franchises and to get MP’s signed up to EDM 174 opposing this carve-up. It is absolutely essential now that we keep up the pressure.”

 

ENDS

http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-launches-new-wave-of-rail-protests-across-the-north/

 

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