Northern Alliance Association
Promoting Northern Organisations, Businesses and Registered Political Parties
Transport & Environment
This page focuses on local campaigns to restore and improve Railways, Canals, Ancient Monuments, Agriculture, Fishing & the Environment.
Railways
Northumberland Line opened on the 15th December 2024, bringing passenger trains back into service between Ashington and Newcastle with six new railway stations.
'Restore your Railway Scheme' cancelled by the British Government 29th July 2024. A great many long standing schemes at various stages of the very expensive and time consuming approvals stage have now been abandoned. Most if not all the proposed schemes would have had a positive impact on Northerner's lives and the economy.
Various new Tram & Lithium powered Bus Lanes are at proposal stage across the North.
Rother Valley Railway: The Project when completed will create a transport link between the main line railway at Robertsbridge and popular attractions such as the National Trust’s Bodiam Castle and Tenterden, the “Jewel of the Weald”. http://www.rvr.org.uk
Weardale Railway is an 18 mile heritage line running from a connection with the main rail network at Bishop Auckland to Eastygate in Weardale. http://www.weardale-railway.org.uk
Canal Restoration Schemes
The Canal River Trust currently manages all inland Waterways within Northern England. http://canalrivertrust.org.uk
Sankey Canal-Opened 1757
The Canal is currently disused with only about half from Widnes to St Helens via Warrington able to hold water. There are currently no plans to restore the Canal, with efforts concentrated on maintaining the integrity of the existing structure.
Sankey Canal Restoration Society https://scrs.uk
Main obstacle's to restoration apart from the lack of finance etc is that the M62 which is operated and maintained by National Highways a government owned company, cuts across the Canal at Winwick.
Image top left shows what can ideally be achieved.
Images bottom left show both Fiddlers Ferry Tidal Lock (Image 1) & West Bank Tidal Locks Narrow & Wide (Images 1 & 2)