PENDLE peer Lord Tony Greaves has expressed concern that government plans to extend the East Lancashire line from Colne to Skipton have stalled.

The Liberal Democrat questioned transport minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton on progress with the reinstatement of the link in the House of Lords.

He tackled her on the issue after she warned that Network Rail’s pipeline of route improvements was subject to review in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lord Greaves asked: “I want to concentrate on one small scheme that after years of stop and start has reached stage two, the development stage of the pipeline, the reinstatement of 11 miles of track between the forlorn single platform and buffer stops at Colne and Skipton.

“Does this review mean that the Colne-Skipton project has gone back to stock and everything will again be thrown up in the air?”

She replied: “That particular project is at stage two, which is the ‘develop’ stage; it needs to go to ‘design’ and then to ‘deliver’ to be built or reopened. The pipeline is always very ambitious, and it is the case that a project getting into the pipeline does not necessarily mean that it will be delivered—it will depend on the value-for-money and various other considerations over that period.

“I cannot comment specifically on the Colne-Skipton railway, but it will be reviewed alongside all the other projects. That does not mean that it is going backwards in any process.”

Lord Greaves said afterwards: “I am not clear on whether the ‘develop’ work on the Colne-Skipton line is now at a standstill. It seems to be a bit of a muddle at the moment.”