Come & join us at the Penistone Show

Save the Woodhead Tunnel have managed to secure a place at the Penistone Show, which takes place on Saturday 13th September 2008.

If you're in the area and want to find out more about the campaign, come and say hello. The show is huge, so you may have to have a good look for us, but we will have our banner on the stall, and the bright red colour should be a bit of a giveaway.

More information about the show can be found here, and the location details are here.

Local people send a message to government: "Re-open Our Tunnel!"

On Saturday 2nd August over 50 people from both sides of the Peaks gathered at a demonstration to demand the Woodhead Tunnel re-open to rail. Some attending the protest had hiked for more than two hours over the route of the Woodhead Line, whilst others had cycled from Hadfield and one man had come all the way from Southampton. The crowd, gathered at the tunnel entrance, heard from speakers and enjoyed music from a bicycle-towed sound system in the August sunshine.

The Tunnel has been closed to trains for over twenty years but local people believe there is now an excellent case to re-open the route between Sheffield and Manchester in order to meet national climate change commitments, relieve congestion on local roads and boost the local economy.

Local campaigner, Jonathan Atkinson of Save the Woodhead Tunnel, believes the ball is now in the Government's court.

"Everyone now sees the common sense case in re-opening the Woodhead line: local MPs, businesses and unions, the Northern Way and now the local community have demonstrated their support. It's up to Ruth Kelly and the Department of Transport to pull their fingers out and include Woodhead in the forthcoming Transport White Paper."

Representatives from Save the Woodhead Tunnel are due to meet Rail Minister Rosie Winterton in October. If people want to get involved in the campaign they can visit their website at www.savethewoodheadtunnel.blogspot.com or attend the next meeting at the Prince of Wales pub, Glossop, 7.30pm Thursday 14th August.

Demonstration today - thank you for attending

Under a bright blue sky on a lovely day, around 50 people turned out to help us demonstrate again in favour of re-opening the Woodhead Tunnel.

Those gathered heard speakers from the 2M Group, Stockport Green Party, Save Swallows Wood and Stockport Friends of the Earth.

Many thanks to all those that attended - our farthest-flung friend came all the way from Southampton to join us, and we are also grateful for the attendance of many from the nearby Lifespan Community Collective.

You all made a difference to our day, and hopefully, we can all make a difference for our future and that of the Tunnel.

We plan to post Videos of the speeches at a later date.