The entrance to the Standedge canal tunnel at Diggle. But could trains again pass through the two disused rail tunnels?
The two disused Standedge rail tunnels could be re-opened to trains, as part of Network Railâs £530m plans to boost train travel across the north of England. The proposals also include the possibility of a new station at Diggle.
The idea of re-opening the tunnels has long been suggested, but it is now seen as essential to Network Railâs target of cutting journey times between Manchester and Leeds to 40 minutes from the current 54 minutes.
Trains currently use the double track through the most recent of the tunnels, which was built in 1894. The other two tunnels were built earlier, and only have space for a single track each. Re-opening both would mean a doubling of capacity on the stretch between Diggle and Marsden. Rail bosses hope this, along with a new loop near Dewsbury, would allow faster trans-Pennine trains to overtake stopping services, making for quicker journeys.
The notion of a new station at Diggle is also not new. The original was closed in 1963 as part of the Beeching cuts, and since then commuters from Diggle wanting to travel by rail have had to first reach either Greenfield or Marsden. However, todayâs report merely mentions the station as a “potential” future development.
The so-called Northern Hub report amounts to a shopping list of investment that Network Rail would like to see across the north. The plans will be put out to public consultation later this year, with the Government expected to decide in 2012 which developments it will support. Itâll then be up to the Office of Rail Regulation to agree funding before work can begin in 2014.
You can view the plans on the Network Rail website here. Thereâs also coverage of the report from the Manchester Evening News, Rochdale Online and the BBC.
[...] can read more about the proposals by following this link to last weekâs story from Saddleworth News. February 22nd, 2010 | Tags: Diggle, Trains | [...]
[...] can read more about Network Railâs plans from Saddleworth News here. Articles from Saddleworth News relating to local roads can be found [...]
[...] Cllr Royce Franklin, who has been a longstanding supporter of a new Diggle Station, told last weekâs meeting of Saddleworth Parish Council: âCurrently there is virtually no prospect of having a station at Diggle. If implemented the opening of the tunnels could pave the way for a more fruitful outcome.â? You can read more about Network Railâs plans from Saddleworth News here. [...]
[...] To read more from Saddleworth News about the job cuts at the council, click here. An article about the scrapped plans for a new Saddleworth School is here. More information about the possible new station at Diggle is here. [...]
[...] Itâs all part of the so-called Northern Hub, a planned £530 million package of investment in railways across the north of England. No government decision on whether to back the project is expected before 2012. You can read more detail on the proposals from Saddleworth News here. [...]