Revealed! £31m train link plan for town

Jun 18 2009 Skelmersdale Advertiser

A NATIONAL train organisation has come up with a £31M plan to create a rail link for Skelmersdale.

The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) has published a 24-page report recommending 14 places which it believes should have new railway links.

Skelmersdale is among those towns and the recommendation is that the station would be linked with Ormskirk by a single electrified line, using the former Ormksirk-Rainford junction line.

The report plans for a new station at the junction of Ormskirk Road and Railway Road in Old Skelmerasdale.

Chris Austin, report, said: “We believe the benefits of Skelmersdale having a rail link would far outweigh the cost of it. We would hope that such a scheme could be included in the next Network Rail plan of works which is due to start in 2014.”

Cllr Adrian Owens, prospective Conservative candidate at the next general election, said: “The proposed location of the station is less than ideal, but this report is a step in the right direction.

“Skelmersdale needs a rail link and I will work to secure one. Our recent survey of residents showed that a new rail link for Skelmersdale was the top rail improvement priority for people.”

West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper: “I welcome the report as it strengthens the case for a railway in Skelmersdale.

“It is wrong that the largest town in the area is not connected to the rail network. I am determined that this must and will change.”

Labour group leader Paul Cotterill said: “It’s difficult at this stage to know what to make of the proposal.

“The emphasis in the ATOC report is on reclaiming lines lost to the Beeching Report closures of the 1960s, rather than the new lines envisaged in the RUS. So it may be that the two groups are coming at the whole thing from different but complementary angles.

“The appearance of this new report does not mean that it replaces the plans for a link to Skelmersdale through the Wigan line. But should at the moment be seen in addition to it.”

A West Lancashire Council spokesman said: “We are delighted that the ATOC report recommends a new rail link as this would be a great benefit for Skelmersdale. However, we are also aware that massive investment would be required to make the proposals a reality.”