Transport activists concerned that new relief road could derail revival of old Northampton railway line

Transport activists are concerned that part of Northampton' s upcoming North West relief road could derail hopes of reviving the old Northampton to Market Harborough trainline.

The relief road, which was recently funded with £20 million worth of borrowing at the end of 2021, will link the A428 Harlestone Road with the A5199 Welford Road to increase capacity and mitigate some impact of planned housing growth west and north of Northampton.

Split into two phases, phase one stretches from the A428 to a roundabout near Grange Farm, just south of the railway line.

Subsequently phase two, organised by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), will finish off by linking the section of road across the railway line connecting the developer's road to the A5199 Welford Road. This in efforts to reduce congestion around Northampton.

But the English Regional Transport Association (ERTA), a voluntary pro-public transport improvement association which has an office in Northampton, has raised concerns around a junction that is planned to be built on the track bed of the currently unused Northampton to Market Harborough trainline.

Richard Pill, chairman of the ERTA, fears that the junction might interfere with his groups hopes to bring that track back into use in the future.

He said: "We take an interest in Northampton because it is a strategic location that a lot of people want to get to and from.

"The Northampton to Market Harborough Rail Link offers connections to the Oxford/Watford to Milton Keynes line, the Northampton to Leicester line and beyond. That would mean new linkages of expanded populations which were not present when the line shut as part of the Serpell Report of the early 1980’s.

"The passenger service was withdrawn during the 1960’s, when Milton Keynes was not built and Northampton was half its current size or less. But it was used for freight until the end.

"Now that far more market share could be accessed via this line, we want to have the opportunity to reopen it and others for commuters and freight transport alike.

"Unless they protect the route it will be lost. The question is how they will do this as roads tend to have a sense of permanence about them. It is probably easier for a road to go over a railway route than a railway over a road."

However WNC has denied that the development would at all impede this idea. As far back as June 2021, they said in a statement that the junction, while bringing more facilities, would still allow for it.

A spokesman previously said: "West Northamptonshire Council is responsible for building phase two – the section of road across the railway line connecting the developer's road to the A5199 Welford Road.

"Several traffic calming measures, and junction improvements are also planned as part of the scheme.

"The development of the new junction on the track bed of the Northampton to Market Harborough railway line will not prevent the reopening of the line in whatever form in the future.

"The junction will also provide crossing facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, mobility scooters and horse riders using Brampton Valley Way and accessing it from the adjacent car park on Brampton Lane."

Work is ongoing on Northampton's North West relief road.