After the announcement of new government money to open up the Beeching Lines Tatton MP in a letter to Rail Minister says Mid Cheshire lines must be made an “absolute priority”.
Tatton MP Esther McVey said Government must examine the case for re-opening the Mid Cheshire lines as part of its announcement to re-open part of the closed network.
She said: “I have spoken further to officials in the Department for Transport this morning (THURS) expressing the absolute anger of the gridlocked residents of Cheshire and I have written again to the Rail Minister Paul Maynard requesting the lines are made an absolute priority.
Along with John Oates of the Mid Cheshire Rail Users Group, I also recently met with the CEO and Chair of Warrington and Cheshire Local Enterprise Partnership to work as a team to push these lines as strategic, vital roots."
Earlier this week Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced that rail lines closed during the cuts in the 1960s could be re-opened to ease overcrowding and boost the economy. Thousands of stations and hundreds of local rail lines were closed down between 1964 and 1970 on the recommendation of the then British Railways chairman Dr Richard Beeching.
In her letter Ms McVey added: “Will you view this matter as vital and use the money at your disposal to get these lines opened. I really can't impress upon you enough how urgent this is. In all LEP reports and Government figures it shows Gadbrook Park - the industrial park as a key element in driving growth, business, jobs and productivity, that being the case, it needs better access, and with the increasing number of houses being built in the area we need better transport infrastructure across Cheshire.”
Ms McVey has provided the DfT and Government ministers with material about the Mid Cheshire Rail Link and the Airport Western Link, which sets out in detail why the lines are needed and what benefits they will bring.
Ms McVey wants the freight line from Northwich to Sandbach, re-opened to passenger trains and construction of two new stations at Gadbrook Park and at Middlewich, which would complete the Crewe- Northwich- Altrincham railway line to link towns and villages directly to the Crewe HS2 station.
The long-awaited Airport Western Link would provide new and faster connections to the airport from all towns and cities west of the airport. It would also provide a new direct route to Manchester Piccadilly Knutsford, Northwich and Middlewich cutting five miles off the journey and reducing travelling time by 15 minutes.