East Midlands Commuter Programme
The East Midlands Commuter Programme has been launched.
It has its own web site, with this mission statement.
Working Towards A Sustainable/Healthy/Prosperous East Midlands By Investing In Rail
And this more expansive statement.
East Midlands Commuter Programme is a scheme to introduce a high-frequency and high-quality rail service across the East Midlands with as little new infrastructure as possible, as well as lobbying for the extension of NET trams into Derby, East Midlands Airport and more.
So what is the flesh on the bones?
Four Stages
These are.
- Stage One – Building the Core
- Stage Two – Trams and Stations
- Stage Three – A Vital Stage For Heavy Rail
- Stage Four – Achieving Twenty trams per hour Through Toton
It looks to me, that there is the start of good things there, but full information is not on the web site yet.
Every plan put forward must be capable of being built.
I shall not comment further until the plan has been completed, published and handed to the Government.
Liverpool’s Vision For Rail was published by the region in July 2021 and it is a complete and well-thought out plan.
In October 2021, I was able to write Chancellor To Fund £710m Merseyrail Expansion.
Work has already started on the first extension to Headbolt Lane station.
At a very much smaller level, look what happened in Devon with the Dartmoor Line, where a small scheme was delivered quickly.
We now also have two further smaller well-planned schemes underway; the Northumberland Line and the Levenmouth Rail Link in Scotland.
Conclusion
I would suspect, that if the East Midlands can write a plan that is complete, fully-costed and deliverable, then they will get the same result as the Liverpool City Region.
The Anonymous Widower 