Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beavers backs return of historic Poulton-Fleetwood railway line
“Areas like ours have suffered the effects of being disconnected for too long.”
Lorraine Beavers, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, has called for improvements to rail services across the north and on the Poulton-Fleetwood railway following a meeting with Northern Rail in Parliament.
Ms Beavers said the meeting focused on improving services across the north, including connections serving the local area. She said: “It was great to see Northern Rail in Parliament to talk about improving services across the north and our Poulton-Fleetwood railway.”
The MP said nationalising the railways remained a priority for both herself and the government, while acknowledging that achieving this would require time and investment.
Ms Beavers also highlighted what she described as the long-term impact of poor connections on communities such as Blackpool and Fleetwood, pointing to consequences for local industry, employment, people's lives and the wider economy.
The Fleetwood branch line was originally opened in 1840, but work at Fleetwood docks coming under threat in the mid-1960s led to Fleetwood Railway Station’s closure in 1966. The remainder of the branch running south to Poulton followed in 1970.
The line continued as a freight route to access the ICI plant at Burn Naze Halt until 1999, when all traffic on the line ceased.
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“Areas like ours have suffered the effects of being disconnected for too long, it's damaged our industry, jobs, lives, & local economy and I will not stop working towards better services for us,” she said.
She said improved rail links were important not only for reducing journey times and supporting tourism, but also for providing greater access to employment and education and helping create the infrastructure needed for industry to return to the area.
“We deserve to be better connected, not just for shorten commuter times & bringing visitors, but because they open up opportunities for work & education while providing the infrastructure industry needs to return to our area,” she said.