CALLS for the government to commit to the next feasibility study to reopen the defunct 12-mile Skipton to Colne railway line have come from Skipton's biggest employer, who says progressing the plans is a 'no brainer'.

Speaking in an interview last week, Skipton Building Society's chief executive David Cutter was backed by Selrap (Skipton East Lancs Rail Action Partnership) chairman Peter Bryson, when he emphasised the line was an important link to the district for both economic and connectivity benefits.

Mr Cutter said: "We have 1,500 colleagues; 25 per cent live in East Lancashire or Lancashire postcode. The border is only five miles to the west and yet those people are not served by a railway line.

"Sustainability of our business depends very much on attracting talent and there is a huge pool of labour just across the border which would be well served by reinstating that railway line which would give us connectivity not just to Leeds and London but going west and south west to the conurbations of East Lancashire, down to Greater Manchester, the airport etc.

"We have been supporting (Selrap's) campaign for many years. We are just calling on the government now to commit to the next feasibility study to get into the detailed engineering works to keep this thing progressing because it is absolutely essential that we can attract that talent and there is so much across the border that can't get here by railway."

Mr Cutter added: "The benefits are not just to local businesses. Tourism, sheer connectivity in terms of the north; great prospects for jobs. People can get to other colleges and universities. There are wider economy benefits. great prospects for jobs. We just ask the government to go to the next step to do the detailed feasibility studies to prove beyond doubt that this is a no brainer that they should be doing."

Mr Bryson said that the reasons the line was closed in 1970 have been lost in the 'mists of time'.

"We think it is bizarre in this day and age that it does not continue the 12 miles into East Lancashire The key objective is to link East Lancashire and Yorkshire back together again."

Speaking about the estimated £100 million it would cost to reopen the line, Mr Bryson added: "You have to remember that it's gong to last well over a hundred years. No infrastructure project is cheap and you have got to look at the benefits.

He said both Transport for the North and the Department for Transport concluded last year that there are 'substantial long term economic benefits for East Lancashire and substantial transport infrastructure connectivity benefits for the rest of Northern England'.

He added: "What Selrap has been saying for the last 18 years is £100m is not expensive for transport infrastructure. Compared with what's being spent in London it is small beer."

Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith has also been campaigning hard and meets regularly with Selrap.

He said he was delighted by the announcement that, following a year-long feasibility study by the DfT, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling had backed the re-opening of the line.

Mr Grayling visited the area in January and confirmed an initial study found it was 'technically feasible' to re-open it and that if a viable business case can be made the Government will provide funding needed for the scheme.

Mr Smith said: "I am delighted that Chris Grayling has again committed the Government to continued work on the Colne-Skipton re-opening. If the scheme is able to proceed, it will provide a huge boost.

"I hope that we can now proceed quickly with the next steps, so that the benefits of this project can be realised as soon as possible."

In a follow-up to our recent story highlighting some Earby and district residents' concerns about the reinstating of the line, a spokesman for SELRAP added: "SELRAP has already spoken to representatives from the group and have, like Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson, explained that there are detailed statutory constructive procedures to follow at the next stage. This will include details of the proposed route and station options to which residents would be invited to respond and comment. This consultation with the residents of Earby will be organised by the Department for Transport.

"The details of the proposals will not be available until the re-opening reaches the ‘develop’ stage. That requires further engineering studies and in particular a detailed land survey. We are now awaiting the Department for Transport to commission this next ‘develop’ stage of work."