SELRAP Skipton-Colne Rail Link Phase 1b Needs Assessment and Appraisal Issue | 20 February 2014 This report takes into account the particular instructions and requirements of our client. It is not intended for and should not be relied upon by any third party and no responsibility is undertaken to any third party. Job number 229596-00 Ove Arup & Partners Ltd Admiral House Rose Wharf 78 East Street Leeds LS9 8EE United Kingdom www.arup.com SELRAP Skipton-Colne Rail Link Phase 1b Needs Assessment and Appraisal Contents Page Executive Summary 1 1 Introduction 2 1.1 Scope 2 1.2 Description of the Line 2 2 Policy Context 5 2.1 Route Utilisation Strategies 5 2.2 Lancashire County Council’s Local Transport Plan; 2011 – 2021 7 2.3 East Lancashire Highways and Transport Masterplan 8 3 Needs Assessment 9 3.1 Corridor Characteristics 9 3.2 Existing Travel Patterns 13 4 Engineering and Operations 17 4.1 Service Patterns 17 4.2 Current Proposal - Potential Options 17 5 Appraisal 22 5.1 Demand Forecasts 22 5.2 Standard Transport Benefits 25 5.3 Costs and Revenues 26 5.4 Overall Appraisal 29 6 Conclusions and Recommendations 32 | Issue | 20 February 2014 J:\220000\229596-00\0 ARUP\0-11 TRANSPORTATION\0-11-08 REPORTS\2014-02-20 PHASE 1B ISSUE.DOCX SELRAP Skipton-Colne Rail Link Phase 1b Needs Assessment and Appraisal Executive Summary Arup have been commissioned by the Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) to advise on the potential for reinstating the railway line between Skipton to Colne. The line was closed in 1970, but the trackbed has remained largely free of permanent development. The current study is considering the social and economic case for reinstating this line. It has been recognised in the ‘East Lancashire Highways and Transport Masterplan’ that the area of East Lancashire suffers with poor connectivity to surrounding areas, due to poor rail and road networks. The area has good, if slow, bus links to Manchester, however lacks public transport links to economic centres to the east such as Leeds. Potential service options are outlined. The report considers how the re-opening of the line will provide local connections to nearby economic centres, the strategic significance of the line for passenger services and freight and also a consideration of the engineering layout options. A high level economic appraisal has been undertaken to evaluate the economic efficiency of the proposed scheme. The appraisal considers the economic benefits of journey time savings and reduced car use against the capital costs of the scheme and the level of subsidy likely to be required. In accordance with WebTAG guidance, the appraisal has been prepared over a 60 year period. The BCR for the scheme is 1.52 based on median demand and the assumption that the single track option is pursued with a half hourly service from Leeds to Rose Grove. Based on a high demand scenario the BCR rises to 6.56. Other service options and double tracking offer a lower BCR. If the route were to be also used for inter-regional and longer distance services, the BCR could rise further as the current analysis is a conservative estimate of commuter yield. Wider economic and social arguments could also add to the case for the new service. | Issue | 20 February 2014 Page 1 J:\220000\229596-00\0 ARUP\0-11 TRANSPORTATION\0-11-08 REPORTS\2014-02-20 PHASE 1B ISSUE.DOCX SELRAP Skipton-Colne Rail Link Phase 1b Needs Assessment and Appraisal 1 Introduction 1.1 Scope Arup have been appointed by the Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) to conduct a study looking at the potential for reopening the Colne to Skipton rail link. Phase 1a (dated 18 April 2013) provided a review of the existing work carried out to date, analysing the economic, environmental and transport issues affecting the study area, and concluded that a number of changes have taken place since the previous business cases were developed [by SDG and JMP] and these, together with recent changes to guidance concerning the wider economic benefits of infrastructure schemes, could have a significant impact on the current business case. The purpose, therefore, of this current report is to provide an up to date assessment of the viability of re-opening the railway line between Skipton and Colne. This will be achieved by: Provide Policy Context: outline the main policy documents which surround the proposed scheme. Conduct Needs Assessment: understand and outline the baseline position of the study area, including demographical characteristics of the corridor, existing available transport network and current travel patterns and journey to work. Engineering and Service Options: Review the options previously proposed, provide Arup’s recommendations of the service and layout options. Economic/Financial Appraisal: Outline the methodology of the approach taken to appraise the scheme in terms of the standard transport benefits, the wider economic benefits and the cost estimates. 1.2 Description of the Line 1.2.1 The Original Line The original line between Skipton and Colne was opened by the Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway on the 2nd October 1848. In February 1849 it made an end-on junction with the East Lancashire Railway in Colne, thus completing a route linking Liverpool, Manchester and Preston with Leeds, Bradford and Hull. Data within The Reshaping of British Railways [Beeching] Report of 1963 reveals that, at the time, the the route between Burnley and Earby [via Colne] was carrying between 5,000 and 10,000 passengers per week and that between Earby and Skipton was carrying between 10,000 and 50,000 passengers per week. None of the double track route was listed for closure in the Beeching report. A report published by the Ministry of Transport British Railways Board in 1967 cited the Burnley to Skipton [and Leeds] route as part of the network selected for further development, and the trans-Pennine route remained intact. Notwithstanding, the eleven and a quarter mile section between Skipton and Colne failed to gain subsidy under the Transport Act of 1968, and was closed in 1970. There were four intermediate stations between Skipton and Colne, including Eslack and Foulridge, which closed in 1951 and 1959 respectively. Thornton-in- | Issue | 20 February 2014 Page 2 J:\220000\229596-00\0 ARUP\0-11 TRANSPORTATION\0-11-08 REPORTS\2014-02-20 PHASE 1B ISSUE.DOCX SELRAP Skipton-Colne Rail Link Phase 1b Needs Assessment and Appraisal Craven and Earby survived until closure in 1970. A branch line from Earby to Barnoldswick was closed in 1965. Later in 1986, the section between Gannow Junction at Rose Grove and Colne was converted to single track. The proposed scheme is to reopen the line using the trackbed of the closed railway to restore the rail connection between Colne and Skipton, thus creating a new trans-Pennine route for passengers and freight. The line would have two intermediate stations; Earby (population 6,200) and West Craven Parkway (serving the town of Barnoldswick (population 11,000, 1.8 miles distant)). 1.2.2 The Current Situation Currently, Colne marks the end of the East Lancashire line. Trains travel along a single track branch from Gannow Junction in Burnley calling at intermediate stations; Burnley Barracks, Burnley Central, Brierfield and Nelson. Only one passenger train can be on the branch at any one time as there are no passing loops or sidings. The Colne line joins the double track line from Preston and Blackburn to Hebden Bridge at Gannow Junction. Skipton railway station has four platforms currently in use, with southbound services to Leeds and Bradford on the electrified Airedale Line, northbound services connect to Lancaster, Morecambe and Carlisle. There are proposals to bring platform 5 back into use, which could facilitate a new service to Bolton Abbey via the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. The line through Skipton carries a significant amount of freight traffic including; coal trains from Hunterston and the Ayrshire coalfield, gypsum from Kirby Thore to the Drax power station and stone from Swinden Quarry. The local rail passenger services to Colne and Skipton are operated by Northern Rail under the terms of a franchise that commenced in December 2004 and will run until April 2014 (with a likely extension until February 2016 when the franchise may merge with the current TranPennine Express Franchise). The specific services running from Colne and Skipton are detailed in a later section (3.2.2). Most of the trackbed remains in situ. There are several locations where it would require reinstatement. These include: Vivary Way in Colne; Skipton Western Bypass; Three level crossings on the route. | Issue | 20 February 2014 Page 3 J:\220000\229596-00\0 ARUP\0-11 TRANSPORTATION\0-11-08 REPORTS\2014-02-20 PHASE 1B ISSUE.DOCX SELRAP Skipton-Colne Rail Link Phase 1b Needs Assessment and Appraisal Figure 1: Location of the Skipton-Colne rail line in the context of the local road and rail network Source: Arup analysis 1.2.3 Acknowledgements SELRAP would like to thank the following organisations and individuals whose generous financial support has made this study possible: Lush Cosmetics Alliance Rail Reedley Hallows Parish Council Friends of Nelson & Brierfield Stations Trinity Baptist Church, Colne Support the East Lancashire Line Association Unite the Union SELRAP Membership fees Donations from individual members of SELRAP | Issue | 20 February 2014 Page 4 J:\220000\229596-00\0 ARUP\0-11 TRANSPORTATION\0-11-08 REPORTS\2014-02-20 PHASE 1B ISSUE.DOCX SELRAP Skipton-Colne Rail Link Phase 1b Needs Assessment and Appraisal 2 Policy Context 2.1 Route Utilisation Strategies Network Rail periodically produce Route Utilisation Strategies (RUS).