'Liberal Democrats are calling for a rail service to the Isle of Grain'
Liberal Democrats believe that there is a strong case for re-introducing a rail passenger service to Grain on the Hoo Peninsula. Currently, travel time from the Peninsula to Medway's urban areas and beyond is only accessible by car, contributing to pollution and road congestion. Why not offer the opportunity for those who live in the nearby villages to board and leave the trains local to where they live by the extension of passenger services to Grain and the villages in-between.
The Council's planned interchange option at Gravesend to link to locations across Medway, which we have criticised, calls into question the sustainability of the development if there is an over reliance on cars. The absence of the Higham Curve, preventing a train service covering Hoo and the rest of the Medway Towns, shows a lack of ambition meaning that a service extension to Thamesport and Grain being written off.
It would make greater sense if instead of terminating at Gravesend, the line was routed and connected to the Southbound track utilising open land to the South of the track. Passengers could interchange at Higham Station to travel Westbound towards London and the train service could continue to the Medway towns
We have recommended that the loop near Cooling includes a station. The trains will stop there, adding a station would allow the nearby villages of Cooling, Cliffe and Cliffe Woods to board and alight there. We are in favour of the HIF and the railway scheme but with a rail link to the Medway Towns directly. If there is no direct rail link between Hoo and the Medway Towns, the likelihood is people are just going to keep on using their cars.
The current proposal for a bimodal, diesel link between Hoo and Northfleet is not compatible with the objectives of a rail link or the climate emergency declared by Medway Council. The line should be electrified and allow direct connections to London and the Medway Towns.
John Castle, Chair of Medway Liberal Democrats said, "At present, residents on the Peninsula are not getting the full benefit from the towns' transport links because their homes are only accessible by car. When the Council focuses housebuilding efforts on the edge of our towns, it means that Medway's train stations are a long drive away for many residents.
A rail link using the existing track from Grain, to establish a regular train service to London, would allow these rural populations access to Medway and London. As well as the environmental benefits, a rail link from Grain would provide a vital lifeline for local residents who do not have access to cars, who need travel opportunities to access employment, health and educational services.
The case for reopening the Grain line is becoming irresistible, there already exists a route used by freight and we feel that the reintroduction of a rural railway for the Peninsula communities should not be underestimated, and that the Council should see the line and opportunity as part of a wider picture in their plans."
Funding cuts to rural buses and an already unreliable bus service to the Peninsula mean that large parts are cut off from public transport. This creates huge challenges for young people to access training and jobs and for older people who no longer drive to access services. The existence of a rail line would give a certainty of continuity which cannot be matched by bus services. It is all too widely appreciated that bus services can be here one year and removed the next. A rural rail service would provide other links such as connecting bus services, and community transport, there can be an enormous scope for integration between bus and train services.
The draft Local Plan has designated new "employment hub" areas for industrial and office uses, and the allocation of land for economic development for the Isle of Grain. For Grain and the surrounding villages on Hoo Peninsula, restoring a public transport line or a station has the potential to revitalise the rural community and make the area accessible for employment opportunities for residents on the Peninsula.
The reality is perhaps that Hoo's housing development will likely happen anyway; the question is whether the mitigating benefit of the restored rail service will happen too. Liberal Democrats want to emphasise that a Grain reconnection would work best when the route would link into the national network, and made into a sustainable travel hub with good cycling and bus connections.
For Medway Council in partnership with Network Rail, if done in the right manner, this would be an excellent example of the successful leverage of Government funding driven by planned housing growth to support the local economy through a significant enhancement to the passenger rail network.
ENDS