Moorlands and City Railway

The track has NOT been severed. It is all still in place through the entire length. There is a landslip that is an area of concern, and some of the bridges require a further look, but physically the track is still there!

 

Online news from 'This is Staffordshire' which is apart of the Sentinel :http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.u...on-Lowe-Line/story-13448412-detail/story.html

 

Who wrote that article, surely not a journalist?

 

Surely the process of flailing in recent weeks is a lawful use. It is certainly an activity related to what the railway is "for" and it was going on in Endon the week before the notices were put up so can't even be said to be a response.
Another point is that the notices appear to have been attached to fences which are specifically intended to prevent access by the general public. They by definition must pre-date the notice (or it couldn't have been attached to them!) and demonstrate intent to prevent public access, which was one of the criteria referred to earlier in this thread.
The more I think about this case, the less it seems to have been thought through. If she really wanted to cause trouble this document should have been served the moment MCR appeared on the scene. As it is, I can't see it going past the first stage.
Putting my canals hat back on I have to say please feel free to encourage people to walk along the nearby towpaths, where they will be made more than welcome!

 

Anyone can write a story for that site.

This is in their FAQ: How can I Contribute content to the site?One you’ve registered you can comment on stories, rate and review local businesses and write your own stories about your town. If you want to comment on a story you can always type a response in the Comments box below the story. If you want to join a discussion simply type your post in the box below the discussion.

 

But the clincher is that a train ran in 1994 and so it was an operational railway then and so could not have been used for lawful sporting or recreation.

I do hope the applicant has to pick up costs.

 

bad for the postmans back as well!

 

I see, I thought it was an online version of the local rag. Couldn't believe the appalling prose!

 

Re the notices at Endon;-

As they are posted on fencing belonging (I assume) to the MCR isn't this illegal 'fly-posting'? If so, the MCR are entitled to remove them? Even if it is legally required to display proposals in a place where the locals can see them I am sure they must not be posted on private property?

Maybe the MCR could add a public information poster of their own, in much larger lettering, to explain why this proposal will fail.

Just thoughts...

Barry.

 

[h=2]This person should be disciplined by her Party, as she is so clearly at odds with its public transport policies, which are:

Make public transport public:[/h]

• Reregulate bus services nationally.
• Assist businesses with green workplace travel plans.
• Give higher priority to railways and plan for a growing railway network.
• Open additional stations on existing routes.
• Invest in new Light Rapid Transit systems (using appropriate technologies).
• Simplify fares for all public transport, with discounted fares for off-peak journeys and for those with low incomes.
• Support free local transport for pensioners.
• Return the railways, tube system and other light railway systems, including both track and operations, to public ownership.
• Support in principle a new north–south high-speed line, which would reduce the number of short-haul flights within the UK.

[h=2]Reduce heavy freight and shift it from the roads to the railways:[/h]

• Reduce the demand for freight transport by localising the economy.
• Expand the rail freight network and make greater use of waterways, where suitable.
• Safeguard land adjacent to railways for use in freight distribution projects.
• Introduce road user tolls for heavy lorries.

Clearly this woman is riding on the back of her Party, and is trying to use it for her NIMBY prejudices.

 

Please re-read my draft letter of objection. The salient points are that -

The railway was authorised by a specific Act of Parliament - which provides for the land to be a railway - subject to all applicable statutes - its own enabling act, the railway clauses consolidation act, any other relevant acts that may have had specific relevant clauses - and remains so, because it is still physically the same railway, with the track in place, just as it has been ever since it was first built. Trespass remains a criminal offence because all Network Rail would have to do, if challenged, is to supply a photo of a No Trespass sign at the end of the nearest platform - (S o T) and the legal position is more than covered.

That all simply overrides any legal intention by the owner, currently Network Rail, to concede any form of publicly accessible status on any part of the Cauldon Low, or any other, line and to maintain its continuing lawful and statutory status as an operational railway.

The application is therefore, and thereby, defeated and fails. Any other interpretation would be perverse and wrong in law.

Get those letters in

 

Has this person's application actually had any impact on the work to upgrade the line? There seemed to be a lot of work going on at one point, but it has gone quiet now.

I'd also be interested to hear if the run-around loop at Cauldon Lowe has been commissioned yet (and if not, when that will be). There are trains running up to Cauldon Lowe over the next couple of weekends, aren't there?

 

Work is still progressing, maybe more behind the scenes for the moment but I can re-assure you MCR are continuing as normal.

Run-round has not been commissioned yet, when I have no idea.

5199 and 33021 will be top and tailing on Sunday October 16th.

 

S.15 applications aside it was a year ago yesterday that we took 8624 from Cheddleton to Apesford Crossing.

Since then the CVR have clocked up many miles on the Cauldon branch. Next year should see a couple of one off specials to Endon and beyond.

Work is progressing on site and in the background, there is a lot more to returning the railway to operational condition than track clearance. This part is the most satisfying in the sense you can see the achievement, whilst on the other hand the paperwork side has only more lever arch files to show for itself !

 

Ah the fun of paperwork. Yes your right. when leekbrook was full of trees and the the next time its all gone and you see a railway beneath, it was great.

Any news on the new building from Ched station? Platform 2.

Cheers Gav

 

There'll be no news on that till the Share Issue ends surely, which is the end of the year?

 

I had no idea that the applicant for the Village Green registration was a member of any political party. However, no-one should think that membership of a party leads to monolithic opinions; individualism is alive and well! A few years ago I had cause to talk confidentially to a Senior Councillor of a unitary authority in the midlands about the quite perverse behaviour of a lady who had just fought a ward election in the name of his party. After hearing me out he said: "I know, I'm glad that she didn't get elected"!

 

Any 'delivery date' announced for the arrival of George yet? Does anyone know?

 

The minutes of the Endon Parish Council meeting in September reveal: -
The question of the Railway Developer cutting down hedgerows was raised. The Chairman explained that this would only be done where necessary and with the agreement of landowners. Generally, they would be retained.
Clearly, no opposition to the railway at that meeting. I presume the reference to landowners refer to any trees, bushes that are overhanging the track.