Gilsland Station meeting with Trains Minister Paul Maynard - positive steps forward on a long journey to a rebuilt station

This week in Westminster I sat down with Paul Maynard the Trains Minister to discuss the Gilsland Station rebuild project. This follows on extensive discussions with Network Rail and Northern rail. As everyone at the Campaign to Reopen Gilsland Station [COGS] knows this is a long journey. The many steps along the way can be charted here:
http://www.gilsland-station.org.uk/
But the overall objective is keenly supported by locals, by the train company who would like to see it happen, local MPs and more and more of the key stakeholders.
The problem as always has been the cost. If one approaches this from a requirement for a state of the art, brand new station with everything attached then the original Network Rail report of £28 million + is clearly a big ask in these straightened times. However, I have been impressed by the way in which Network Rail and Northern Rail are trying to come up with innovative, and potentially more cost effective, solutions to a tough problem.
I meet again with these two organisations shortly and there is a germ of a good plan that we are working on.

We need to bolster the business case and show that the usage is there to justify the taxpayers money - whatever that sum is going to be. Critical to this is the enhanced use of the area by 4 key things:
- increased service of Gilsland as a critical hub for the two walks that meet right next to it - namely Hadrian's Wall and the Pennine Way, + the greater cycling use of the area
- the impact of the tens of thousands of extra visitors who will arrive by reason of the Sill Project that opens in the summer. How do we add to their visitor experience and increase their time in Hadrian's Wall country, with particular reference to all the diverse Heritage assets that are close by the station site?
- and the potential to support business and regeneration of the area of West Northumberland and East Cumbria that has clearly struggled under successive governments for generations
- and numbers as to the fundamental greater usage of the Tyne Valley railway, and the new station itself, to justify Northern Rail and the other support agencies getting behind the project.
We have recently met Heritage Lottery and engaged with the Northumberland Tourism Team and the Borderlands project are also supportive so I am hopeful that we are building up steam - if you forgive the pun. The critical issue is this - can we build a station at a reasonable cost that does the job without breaking a limited bank account? That is what we are seeking to do. Paul can definitely help and, whilst the devil is in the detail, he is very supportive and is taking this to the highest levels of the train food chain. I will update more after I have met with Northern and Network Rail in a couple of weeks time.

Trains, stations, floods, roads and so much more on a packed transport agenda this week

The Intentions of Northern Rail, the changes when the Pacers are replaced on the Tyne Valley Line, the future prospects for Gilsland Station, safety improvements to the A69 at Henshaw, roads damaged by floods, culverts that damage houses, potholes, and a policy on ditch clearing and drain maintenance are just some of the issues that are occupying me this week. After a meeting in London with Northern Rail chief executive today I have a much better understanding of the way ahead for the Tyne Valley line, but I am on the train north now with 8 days of campaigning, surgeries and transport rated issues ahead. 
There is no doubt that Transport is occupying a major part of the next 48 hours as I have had a series of meetings in London, and across the county in the next two days. 

On Northern Rail today I met Alex Hynes, and discussed at length the Pacer replacement plans. I am happy to discuss in more detail with the Tyne Valley Rail Users Group but the short point is that he could not have been more adamant that we will be getting a dramatically improved quality of carriage in which to travel, including everything from wifi to disabled facilities, plus faster more comfortable trains. Some will say, and have said to me, that what the customer is getting is a refurbished train carriage, albeit one refurbished to a level that is effectively indistinguishable from new. This is true; some would argue that only brand new will do, but I would prefer to focus on the quality of the present, not how it is wrapped. The key thing I am absolutely 110% sure of is this: I am confident that local customers will see a dramatic difference, and the degree to which the DFT / government have helped made this replacement happen is to their credit. 

On Gilsland Station we now have the feasibility study from Network Rail, which I am going through with Northumberland County Council, COGS, network rail, northern rail reps, and key stakeholders in Morpeth tomorrow afternoon. The good news is that we have the report and can make some progress. The bad news is network rail's preliminary estimation of cost, which is definitely large. But, the reality is that as the poet said - "the longest journey starts with the shortest steps" - and we are many more steps down the journey, now we have this report. I will blog more after the meeting,but want to sit down with COGS and the team first, so we can undertake a detailed appraisal and assess the next steps. 

On Friday I start with a further meeting on efforts to get road safety improvements to the A69 at Henshaw before I am out west in Slaggyford and Eals meeting with the County Highways team and both inspecting road repairs, and discussing culverts that could stop some houses being flooded. Along the way at County Hall I will be raising road repairs, potholes, drain clearance and ditch clearance. 

Success! Trains will run to/from Riding Mill + Stocksfield from tomorrow as Northern Rail change their timetable

Northern Rail and Network Rail have listened to the concerns of local people and will now be running commuter trains at peak times. My thanks to the Tyne Valley Rail Users Group and their stalwarts (they know who they are!) for providing me with the key technical material to take to Northern in particular, with who, I have been in regular contact all the last week.
The full revised time table is here: http://www.northernrail.org/pdfs/trackworks/Corbridge_landslip_SX_v4.pdf

The key points to note are that the only extended services are
6:11: Riding Mill
6:21: Stocksfield
6:55: Newcastle via all usual stops

With a second commuter train at 7:39 and 7:49 respectively. I know local residents in riding mill and Corbridge will be delighted.

And then commuter service coming back leaving at 4:54 and 5:54 respectively. All other services are the bus connections as has been the case since the landslip, but my advice is to check the timetable regularly, in any event. This service will stick dovetail with the revised bus time table.
A few points to note: this service will be slower until Prudhoe as the nature of the service on such a track requires a slower speed, and assistance from network rail and a change to signalling. However, the key point is that there is now a service for 2 commuter trains into and back from Newcastle. It has required a reallocation of northern and network rail resources in several ways and I am grateful to them.

Update on Tyne Valley line landslip and return of local railway following today's visit

Today I met with Network Rail, and the many contractors on site, who are grappling with one of the biggest engineering problems I have ever seen. Over 35,000 + tons of earth, trees, and debris have to be made safe, moved and then reinstated following the landslip that blocked the Tyne Valley railway line last week. I have attached below some photos to give an idea of the huge scale of this landslip. It extends over a hundred yards wide and goes back well beyond the slope itself that goes down steeply to the railway. There are around 50 people on site and a plethora of diggers, and other machinery being used  to make good the site. Everyone understands how important the line is for commuters, business, freight and tourism.

My thanks to Rob McIntosh of Netwrok Rail (pictured) and his team - many of whom I met and talked to - for allowing myself and others onto the site today, and for explaining in detail how this happened, what the engineering and restructuring task is that they are undertaking, and how long it will take to reinstate. The original fear, as reported in the Hexham Courant, was that it would take months to clear the site. That is not the expectation any more. In the last week the team have taken over the farmers field, created an access road, brought over a dozen heavy goods machinery and vehicles onto the site and organised dozens of engineers, clearance contractors, digger drivers, chainsaw crews to attend and sort the problem. I genuinely do not believe that the effort of Network Rail to correct the problem could be faulted. They have brought several teams urgently onto the site where needed, including specialists from out of the area, and they are working 12 hour shifts, with some staying in local pubs and bed and breakfasts in Hexham and Corbridge.

The way ahead is as follows: the site is being made safe and cleared. I do stress that no one uninvited should try and visit the site for their own safety, which was clearly an issue on several levels. There are significant on site complications, including ruptured drains, and a broken pipes that were underground and which has needed temporary and long term repair. In addition, part of the field above and on the edge of the works being done in the field are old Roman settlements and this has required approvals and assistance from the relevant heritage and archeological teams. This is sorted. The site is being made safe. Dozens of trees which have moved, fallen or become unstable are being felled, chopped and then removed. Some of the trees and soil will then be extracted by special train or lorries in the near future. The site can only be cleared and then reinstated from the top down for safety reasons. Bear in mind the men are working on a steep incline. But the soil will then be reinstated in a series of large drop offs. The reality now is that it is expected that the railway will be open again in around 3-4 weeks. Clearly the teams are working in early January in very challenging Northumberland conditions so there is a potential for weather delays, but I was impressed by the competence, commitment and quality of the all team working on this massive site. They are genuinely confident that the railway will be able to be operational in 3-4 weeks. They will be completing the reinstating of the site above the railway for a month or so afterwards. As I say, some of the teams are staying locally and have been made to feel very welcome locally in Tynedale (particular thanks to the people who dropped off a cake to the workmen - it did not last long - and praise to Station Inn in Hexham, where several of the lads are staying and are being very well looked after).

Two final points:
- this job could not go any faster, and be safe, given the dozens of men working with machinery from diggers to cranes to chainsaws in close proximity on unstable, highly sloping ground. Network Rail have really put their backs into this. The teams of men I met assured me that they were getting all the assistance they needed locally from every government agency and connected quangos, but by and large it is their problem and they are getting on with it. In reality, they have a big engineering job to do and are getting on with it, and with a likely outcome that is a lot faster than was originally feared.
- I realise that there are separate ongoing problems with Northern Rail's replacement service, both as to timetable marriage with bus services, which is not synchronised properly at the moment, the failure to provide any train service to Riding Mill and Stocksfield, and a lack of information. I have met received representations on this from several sources, notably the Tyne Valley Rail Users Group and I am in contact with Northern Rail and will update with answers on this and other issues shortly.

Gilsland Station Update - Northumberland CC gets behind the campaign to reopen the station

I was delighted to read the notes to the recent NCC Committee meeting - see below - which details their financial support for the Campaign to Open Gilsland Station.
This project is slowly moving forward, with assistance from Northumberland County Council, as we get to GRIP Stage 3 of the Network Rail process for Station Rebuilds. There is a large amount of support locally, and in the 2 local authorities, and I cannot praise the team at COGS enough - they are doing a great job The Committee notes re Gilsland are here:
http://committeedocs.northumberland.gov.uk/MeetingDocs/13829_M4090.pdf

The reopening of Gilsland Station also featured when we met with Rory Stewart, MP, my friend, Cumbrian neighbour and the Rural Economy Minister last month.
This project would clearly transform the tourist, travel, business and other prospects of the very western area of the County.  There is a case to be made not least because there have been persistent problems with buses in the area, and the tourism busineses which I know well would be very pleased. Anyone who walks the Hadrians Wall or Pennine Way would also be delighted. The reality is that this will have a significant wider economic impact. I am meeting Network Rail soon and will continue to do everything I can to push the project forward.

Good to see further progress being made on the Campaign to reopen Gilsland Station

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/campaigners-revival-northumberland-train-station-9272138

Long campaign to get rid of the Pacer Trains succeeds

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/outdated-pacer-trains-scrapped---8734741

Thanks to Trains Minister Claire Perry for coming to support Gilsland Station reopening Project

Great meeting, full of positive energy and a lot of progress made on a long journey. This was the first chance to get Network Rail, Northern Rail, the key councillors from Northumberland County Council, the Tyne Valley Rail Users Group, and the leaders of the COGS [Campaign to Open Gilsland Station], and the BBC all together both outside the proposed station, and then inside the warm of the Samson Inn. My thanks to everyone who came, and the BBC team who stayed to film for Look North in the cold. A lot of the people present had come a long way whether from York or Morpeth to come and listen, learn and see how they could help. For some people it was their first chance to see why this unique project will have so much of a tourist and economic impact, as well a huge impact on transport infrastructure locally. I have to thank the locals wo are driving this project forward. They are too numerous to name but the tireless and ever smiling Alison and Julie should be praised in particular.
These meetings are no a magic wand. But they are priceless for their ability to bring everyone together behind a shared vision. Really grateful to the team from Network Rail and Northumberland County Council for coming, and their positive approach. And thanks to Claire who travelled up by train from London specially to go to Carlisle, Newcastle and Gilsland.  

Pleased to be welcoming Claire Perry MP, Trains Minister, to Northumberland Thursday

My plan is to take Claire to meet the team behind Gilsland Station on the Cumbria Border and see why the COGS campaign is worth backing. Precise details of the trip are still being worked upon but I am liaising with key local stakeholders as we sort the details of the trip, when she gets in from Carlisle, and how long we will have Claire with us in Gilsland; not least of our decisions is which train she is going on!
Gilsland details are here: http://www.gilsland-station.org.uk/

I have my "ticket" to Gilsland Station - it will happen in time, and progress is being made!

I literally bumped into Julie Gibbon last week. She is a tireless campaigner for the Campaign to Open Gilsland Station, and I was able to get my "ticket" to Gilsland Station.
This project is slowly moving forward, with assistance from Northumberland County Council, as we endeavour to fundraise the £30,000 to get to GRIP Stage 3 of the Network Rail process for Station Rebuilds. There is a large amount of support locally, and in the 2 local authorities, and I cannot praise Julie and the team at COGS enough - they are doing a great job. This project will happen eventually. We are pictured in the Bardon Mill Village Store and Tea Room - my usual Bardon Mill lunch pit stop.

Good to see my Campaign to Electrify the Tyne Valley Line is getting support

The Tyne Valley Line will only truly prosper if it is electrified. I am making the case to the Secretary of State for Transport and local organisations are getting behind the campaign. I have had a very good submission buy the Tyne Valley Rail Users Group and now the NCC have got behind the campaign which is good.
I held a debate on this issue in September in the House of Commons

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2014-09-03b.399.0&s=%28transport%29+speaker%3A24962#g399.2

The crucial passage on electrification is here:
Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough, Conservative)
I am really enjoying my hon. Friend’s speech and he has a well-deserved reputation as a local champion. I chair the Government’s electrification taskforce. Will he meet me outside this place to go through his proposals, so that I know much more about what is necessary for the line and can take his proposals forward within the taskforce?

Guy Opperman (Hexham, Conservative)

One of the best advances of the Secretary of State has been the creation of the electrification taskforce, and I am glad that a northern MP—in this case, the Member for Harrogate—is leading the way, such that we can make representations. The longer term must see electrification of the Tyne Valley line, as it sits between the east coast line and the west coast line, both of which are electrified. Frankly, without that forward movement we will struggle in the longer term, so I will meet my hon. Friend, as will other Members interested in this area, and I genuinely welcome his intervention.

Subsequently I have met Andrew Jones MP and as a result sent this letter to

      -         the  NE LEP
    -          Cumbria LEP
    -          NECC
    -          CUMBRIA Chamber of Commerce
    -          John Stevenson MP
    -          Tyne Valley Rail Users Group
    -          Northumberland County Council
    -          Cumbria County Council
     -          Northern Rail

 "As the MP for Hexham I have been making the case for improvement of the Tyne Valley Railway Line. It is crucial to the connectivity and future prosperity of the far North of our country. The key improvement would be electrification of the line. The line is 59 miles long between the two cities but this takes around 1 hour 30 minutes to traverse. Electrification would improve the speeds considerably. It is a key freight and commuter and tourist route that is vital to the future of the North and crucially it sits between the electrified East Coast Mainline and the electrified West Coast Mainline.  

The government has set up the Electrification Task Force to take submissions on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport. It is a cross party group of MPs, led by Andrew Jones, the MP for Harrogate. The MPs are assisted by DFT, Network Rail and have some back office support.

I have raised this case for electrification in parliament, most notably on the 3^rd September 2014 in the debate on Transport Infrastructure in Northumberland, the transcript of which is here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2014-09-03b.399.0&s=%28transport%29+speaker%3A24962#g399.2 

I have today had that follow up meeting with Andrew Jones MP in the House of Commons and set out our plans in more detail. We have discussed the way ahead and he has made it clear to me that the door is still open to receive representations on this issue, albeit time is critical.

It is crucial that the case for electrification is made on a number of levels. I have therefore sent this letter to [The list of recipients above]. 

All, or some, of you may already have made a representation on this issue. If so, then please send me a copy so I can bring all submissions together. If you have not then please do so by Mid-November. It does not need to be long but a supportive 2 page letter would make a difference. If you can do a longer and more detailed submission this would be helpful.

Could you address your representations direct to:

Andrew Jones MP, Electrification Task Force, House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA
And copy me in at the House of Commons as well.

The criteria which this is being judged upon are numerous, but it is specifically not limited to ease of engineering as per Network Rail approach. The Group are particularly focusing on the:

-          the impact on the economy
-          and the case for connectivity.

If you have any doubts or issues then please feel free to contact my office in London on the number below but I stress that time is of the essence. It may be that you can expand upon your representations at a later date but I would be keen for those outline representations to be with the team by mid-November.”

Yours ever,

Guy Opperman MP

The Journal reports the story today here:

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/north-east-analysis/analysis-news/campaign-mounting-tyne-valley-railway-8124853
I am still chasing a couple of the submissions but am really pleased the NCC are on board.

North East Transport Debate in Parliament tomorrow at 9.30- I will be raising the A69, Tyne Valley Electrification and Gilsland

Bridget Phillipson, MP, has a debate tomorrow and I will try and speak and expand upon the debate I had on the 3^rd September 2014 = “Transport Infrastructure in Northumberland”: the transcript is here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2014-09-03b.399.0&s=speaker%3A24962#g399.2

There are essentially 2 connectivity projects and 1 economic regeneration / connectivity projects that I am hopeful of getting support from the North East and Cumbria LEPs, Network Rail, DFT, and the respective County Councils. At the moment we are doing very well. I will have limited time but will be raising:

1. A69 dualling west of Hexham to Carlisle: our aim is to get this project into the 2016-2021 Funding round of upgrades. Both I and John Stevenson have met and made the case to the Secretary of State for Transport. I have a further Meeting with the Highways Agency plus Rory Stewart + John Stevenson – on the 4^th November at 11am in the House of Commons.
2. Tyne Valley Line: we are pressing for electrification to connect the electrified services of the East Coast and West Coast Mainlines. Again our concern is to get into the long term economic plan and its timetable as this will not happen for several years, but without getting into the plan it will never happen! I have the Minister Claire Perry coming to the North East and seeing the line in January. I have an Electrification Task Force meeting with Andrew Jones MP, its chair, on 27^th October at 16.00 in the House of Commons.
3. Gilsland Station rebuild: This is moving forward slowly but surely, and I have had recent discussions with key COGS leaders. They have a meeting with key Northumberland County Council leaders on Thursday October 16^th. to ensure that the NCC are fully behind the project. I recently met Network Rail and they are supportive albeit they are making the case for further work on the project management process called GRIP. 

The benefits in terms of rural economic development and tourism and connectivity again are significant.  Gilsland Station starts in Northumberland but ends in Cumbria. The Connectivity issues are well addressed in the One North report:

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/download/5969/one_north

On BBC Radio Newcastle tomorrow morning 8.20 talking about transport issues

Will be live tomorrow morning discussing the debate we are having in the Commons tomorrow evening and the work we are doing on everything from the Gilsland Station Reopening Project, see here: http://www.gilsland-station.org.uk/ which I fully support.
Plus the campaigns on road safety and A69 improvements, the need for an integrated "Oyster" card style ticket in our region and the work I am doing in many ways on the Tyne Valley Line. All in the usual 5 minutes of radio time! Tune in if you can.

Commons debate 3rd September on Transport infrastructure in Northumberland

On Wednesday September 3rd at 7pm I have the 30 minute Adjournment debate in the Commons; I applied in July to the Speaker and this debate was recently granted. The key issues I propose to raise I have been discussing with key local activists over the summer, including several members of the Tyne Valley Rail Users Group, and other activists concerned about the state of our roads in Northumberland. We also have a number of key bus issues to raise.
On trains I will be focusing on the rail infrastructure in Northumberland, focusing on the Tyne Valley Line between Newcastle and Carlisle, but I will also be addressing many other rail issues like the Gilsland and Bardon Mill stations.

Locals all know that with the Tyne Valley line:
- the rolling stock is old, there are issues on fares and and other issues and there is no Wi-Fi on the trains; we feel that the service is the poor relation of the Northern Train Network, notwithstanding a passenger increase; there are concerns as to the Northern Rail Franchise Consultation - noone wants to see lesser services.
I will be asking about the possible Designated Community Rail Service and what this means, in reality.
-  Gilsland Station rebuild: this is presently in the GRIP system but needs more Northumberland county council and network rail support. The old station was disbanded many years ago. Lots of the infrastructure remains and it would provide a massive boost to jobs, tourism and infrastructure if it were reopened. I am a big supporter.
- Rail crossing improvements – a Network Rail issue but we are looking to explore the future upgrades and improvements programme.
- I will also be raising the bridges controversy, notably the Bardon Mill proposed bridge, which I visited last week and spoke to residents and members of the Parish Council about.

Finally on trains I shall discuss the fact that the North East has no Oyster Card system for an integrated transport network system, as London and elsewhere does have and why this is the case.

On Roads I shall be raising A 69 Improvements west of Hexham leading to the Cumbrian Border. It is an accident black spot and I saw the Secretary of State for Transport on this issue last session; clearly money is tight but we want to know that we are in the queue for upgrades. Similar comments apply regarding the A696 safety improvements north of Ponteland. We will also be raising traffic safety elsewhere in Northumberland, and continuing to push for the A1 upgrades.

As always please get in touch with your comments, requests and suggestions. I have received many comments thus far over the last few weeks on many of these issues.  All thoughts very welcome.

One North shows the Northern Cities working together - with a long term economic plan

Chancellor welcomes the work of the big 5 Northern Cities:
I have long said that there is no doubt that when the cities of the North work together real change can happen. We have seen this with the LA7, the proposals of the Adonis Report, and now this report.
The report can be found here:
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/download/5969/one_north
It is genuinely great news that the five cities in the north of England have come together with one aim, to improve their economic prosperity by working together. Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield and Leeds have responded to a challenge set them by the Chancellor, and Sir David Higgins, the head of HS2, to begin competing more effectively with London.

There is no doubt that the Cities of northern England are powerful individually but better as one force.

This report and the progress made will ensure we are competitive and prosper in the global economy, and this investment in infrastructure will improve the links between all the major northern cities. The government have listened and built on the success of City Deals and devolved funding. The Local Authorities are now working together ever more closely and this can only be a good thing.

Among the many major successes proposed are a new rail line using faster trains between Newcastle and the Darlington area designed to save 10 minutes journey time, plus speeding up and making more reliable services to London from Newcastle on the East Coast mainline before HS2 is completed; this coupled to the measures to enhance and grow our regions roads and airport are good things.
The Journal report is here:  http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/15bn-plan-revolutionise-transport-newcastle-7561727

Further investment in Northern infrastructure with HS3 is a good thing

I welcome the Chancellors efforts to create a Northern powerhouse by linking the cities either side of the Pennines. I have long admired the efforts of Manchester: it has embraced the idea of a Mayor, and Manchester clearly punches well above their weight. For example Greater Manchester did their entire local plan in 18 months finishing it many years ago. Northumberland which is a fraction of the size will not finish ours until well into 2015 at best. Would that we had such leadership.
Also, I have long made the point that it is vital that we have the ability of the various local cities to work together and put aside past rivalries - Leeds v Manchester has plenty of history but are working together on the Northern Powerhouse project - gives us much to learn in the North East. The LA7 - whereby the 7 local authorities work together has taken a long time to come to fruition but it is a very good start. It is a key part of the Adonis plan to rebuild the north east. Fuller story here:  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27969885

Thoughts on the HS2 debate a few days on - in 50 Years time will we wonder what the fuss was about?

My question in the HS2 Debate focused on the problem with all large infrastructure projects.

"All the northern councils and chambers of commerce back HS2 unequivocally as a source of growth and extra capacity. Is it not the case that all major infrastructure projects are objected to at the time of their creation, and that 50 years on, the objectors fully support what took place?"

HS1, M25, West Coast Mainline, East Coast mainline etc etc were all objected to before they were built. All are a big success now and used by millions. Indeed West Coast Mainline was originally defeated in parliament. The arguments for HS2 are strong. We need to think long term.

And on the point of whether rail spending is HS2 and nothing else it is true that many people against this project ask “Why not spend the money elsewhere?” This is about spending money elsewhere as well as, not instead of, on this project.

Patrick McLoughlin, the Secretary of State for Transport addressed this point by making the point that:
"Over the next five years Network Rail will spend £38.5 billion on the existing railway network. That is separate from the money being earmarked for HS2."

The Full debate from Monday is here:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2014-04-28a.557.0&s=speaker%3A24962#g561.2

HS2 Bill to be debated for 2 days in the Commons: I support it

Train usage has doubled in the last 20 years and we simply do not have the capacity to cope on existing lines. Yes that is right - we as a nation take twice as many train journeys as we did when the service was nationalised British Rail. But, on any interpretation, our rail network is bursting at the seams, and our train operators are struggling to provide the service and capacity that we now expect from our train service. That is the context which HS2 needs to be judged within.

To those who say that we could improve our rail network simply by upgrading existing lines I would say two things: if you accept that you need new rail capacity you might as well build a good train line. Secondly, upgrading existing lines is very expensive, very slow, and does not produce the long term benefits of a second line. Look at the cost and problems of West Coast Mainline upgrading.
Every large infrastructure project from the M25, HS1 or whatever has its doubters and heavyweight opponents. Only the famous Humber Bridge has failed to reap the benefits. Indeed the original builders of the railways faced opponents of the construction of the West Coast Mainline and East Coast Mainline in the 19th century.

In 1832 Parliament rejected the initial bill [for the West Coast Mainline] because some people objected. They argued that canals and rivers were all you'd ever need for long-distance travel, anyway. Indeed, our case for change is even more stark today; we are a country in a global race for jobs, investment and infrastructure. At the start of 2007, China didn't have a single high speed rail line. Today it has over 6,000 miles in service. By 2015 that will be 11,000 miles, while we have just 67 miles, from London to Kent and the Channel Tunnel. All the Northern Local Authorities and the NECC back the project, and whilst Ed Balls and some North East MPs are against, we cannot rail [forgive the pun] against this country's lack of infrastructure and then get upset when it costs money and takes time.
We in the North have still got to ensure that the details of the Northern extensions to Newcastle and beyond are worked through properly. But on the fundamental principle of the need for HS2 I am satisfied and I will vote for it in the division lobbies this week. Certainly our grandchildren will look back in wonder at those who opposed the M25, HS1 + HS2 and ask what planet were you on? The world is changing. We need to change with it.

Disappointed that Heaton rail maintenance workers going on strike but should be no disruption to services

Rail maintenance workers at depots in Leeds and Newcastle are to hold a six-day strike in a dispute over plans to regrade their jobs. The BBC reports here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26937967
that staff at Northern Rail's depots at Neville Hill and Heaton will stop work at 18:59 BST on Thursday 10 April until 18:58 BST on Wednesday 16 April.
The strike, by 42 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, follows a 48-hour walkout in February.
Northern Rail have said there would be "no disruption" to normal services, but I will update regular readers as and when I hear more. Everyone knows I support unions but I would hope that the parties will get talking and common sense will prevail. Northern have had trouble keeping a relationship with the unions -  and everyone in Tynedale will remember Torchgate, and not with fond memories. I am raising other matters with Northern at the moment, not least persistent overcrowding which constituents have brought to my attention, but this is the background to where we have been on employer / employee and customer relations; it is not for me to solve this dispute but I will leave constituents and readers to draw their own conclusions: http://guyopperman.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/torchgatethere-is-light-at-end-of.html

Campaign for increased public protection on late night trains takes a step forward

Very large numbers of constituents have complained about the actions of a minority of drunks and idiots on the late night trains primarily from Newcastle to Hexham. We have met with dozens of residents both from the Tyne Valley Rail Users Group and locals from Hexham, Haydon Bridge and Haltwhistle who have been so affected.
After a recent meeting with BTP and Northern I am really grateful to them for making the effort to try a full time monitoring of the 2 key trains. Thus, in a new pilot project will see British Transport Police boarding trains between the two cities and travelling on both the 7.25pm and 9.18pm departures on a Friday and Saturday night. It is fair to say I have never had any complaints on any other trains save these evening trains.
It is hoped disorder on these routes will be prevented by the British Transport Police (BTP) presence.
As always I would ask anyone on the trains to write or email in with their comments and suggestions. See the full report in the Journal here:
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/police-clamp-down-late-night-newcastle-6783116