Tunnel re-cabling work on hold

LATEST NEWS: work on re-cabling in the Woodhead Tunnel by National Grid has been suspended. The revelation comes directly from the National Grid which has confirmed that no work would take place until April 2009 at the very earliest.

Anecdotal evidence suggests little work has actually taken place as National Grid prepare for the transfer of power cables from the Victorian tunnels into the more modern 1953 Tunnel sometime around 2010.

All this delay means the Save the Woodhead Tunnel Campaign have all the more time to make our case for the suspension of the re-cabling work and the re-opening of the Tunnel to rail.

Yes minister?

Save the Woodhead Tunnel are welcoming the recent meeting between new transport minister Lord Adonis and those campaigning to re-open the tunnel. The positive meeting indicated the government are open to persuasion and the campaign will now move on to making robust arguments for re-instating the line.

We'll be formally introducing ourselves to the minister in the next few weeks and we're hoping rumours he is a train enthusiast are proven correct!

The meeting comes in the wake of a report from development partnership The Northern Way which indicates future growth in trans-pennine freight demands the re-opening of the line.

Also, the draft Yorkshire and Humberside route utilisation strategy (Y&H RUS) includes the Woodhead route and we'll be making representations to ensure it gets the attention we believe it deserves.

Save the Woodhead Tunnel October 2008 newsletter

Save the Woodhead Campaign at the Penistone Show
There was a big turnout for the Save the Woodhead Tunnel Campaign stall at this year's Penistone Show. As you can see (1, 2) we had a great time with 290 petition signatures, £37 raised, lots of good conversations and most of our rather great badges taken.
We're looking to organise a meeting in Penistone sometime in the future, so if you're interested in helping out get in touch.

Meeting with the minister
On October 7th, Sheffield MP Angela Smith met with Lord Adonis, the new Minister for Transport, to discuss re-opening the Woodhead Tunnel. Also in attendance were representatives from Friends of the Peak District, Freight on Rail and Campaign for Better Transport (formerly Transport 2000). We'll be reporting on the outcome of the meeting and its implications soon after we've met with attendees.

Next Meeting
The next Save the Woodhead Tunnel campaign meeting is 7.30pm Thursday 16th October at the Prince of Wales pub, Milltown, Glossop SK13 8PX. The venue is just round the corner from Glossop station and on a main bus route. We'll be discussing the meeting with Lord Adonis and the future of the campaign. All welcome.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here.