‘City Valley Link’ feasibility funds prompt ELR concerns
Proposal could see heritage railway route shared by local commuter services.
By Graeme Pickering
EAST Lancashire Railway vice-president Keith Whitmore says plans that would see the line sharing its route with conventional passenger services are “not a viable option”.
Rossendale Council’s bid for funding to develop its business case for the ‘City Valley Link’ – which would see regular rail services restored between Rawtenstall, Bury and Manchester for the first time since 1972 – was announced as one of 13 winners in the latest round of the Department for Transport’s Restoring Your Railway scheme.
The council says the plan would allow the ELR to run to a similar timetable to its present one and “would see the retention of the steam age stations and signalling with the role of volunteers protected”.