Loughborough Railway Station & Local Rail Services
There are a number of initiatives I am pushing hard for with regards to our railways station, one is disabled improvements, another is platform lengthening, and another is to ensure that as part of the franchise arrangements that are currently being discussed, more through train services are available from Loughborough (ie a new Leicester to Manchester route).
There have been meetings for example with rail passenger groups over the past few weeks, and more meetings are planned with senior officials in the rail industry (ie Network Rail) over the next few months, in order to try and bring forward the timescale when Loughborough station will benefit from various enhancements.
There are some tough challenges ahead in order to try and bring forward the programme of improvements for Loughborough. There are many parnters & stakeholders involved in the various projects, ranging from Network Rail, Central Trains, Passenger User Groups, Department for Transport. Charnwood Borough Council and Leics County Council. My role is to try and robustly drive forward a collective agreement for Lougborough.
We have to compete against other areas that are also vying for improvements. There is also the Olympic 2012 factor and the effect for Loughborough which also needs to be taken into account.
I will be making a submission to the Department for Transport at the end of July 2006 supporting local rail passenger groups arguments for increased direct services to and from Loughborough.
Disability Access - Update
Reed’s Delight at Announcement of Disability Improvements at Loughborough Railway Station
Loughborough MP Andy Reed has expressed his delight with Network Rail’s announcement that disabled facilities are to be greatly improved at Loughborough Railway Station.
Reed has been instrumental in expediting the timescale for disabled improvements to Loughborough station. The work to be completed includes a new footbridge and the installation of two new lifts will take six to nine months to complete.
The work is being carried out under the Department for Transport’s “Access for All initiative” with preliminary work now planned to commence as early as September this year, confirmed to Reed by Network Rail on Monday this week.
Reed stated “this news will come as very welcome relief to disabled people who currently have a raw deal when using Loughborough station”.
Secretary of Rail Future East Midlands also expressed his pleasure with the news “I’m sure that the new improvements will make a big difference for disabled people, and this is something we have been campaigning on for many months”.
In addition Terry Holt Secretary of Leicestershire and Northants Rail Action Committee (LANRAC) welcomed the developments “as a disabled person myself and a regular user of trains from Loughborough, easier access to the platforms and trains cannot come soon enough”.
Loughborough railway station improvements (March 2003)
Loughborough Midland Railway station and its surroundings add little to the efforts of those of us who are trying to improve the town. The area is a key entrance to the town, both for rail and road and I am working with councillors and key partners to obtain a significant improvement.
After difficult negotiations with the rail industry who owned the land, the Borough Council is drawing up a masterplan for the regeneration of the area as a whole. This will comprise a new road linking Nottingham Road (A60) to Meadow Lane.
- Car & cycle parking Parking
- Bus/Rail interchange,
- Recreational area (to be named Sidings Park) for residents, whose roads will become calmed and safe. Ratcliffe Road will no longer for a through route.
Other initiatives in the area include the Ark Business Centre which I am pleased to have worked on when I was Chair of Economic Development at Charnwood.
Last updated March 2003