Transport plan for Lincolnshire

[High Dyke]

I've placed this here, as it's merely a suggestion from a local MP, as opposed to actual work taking place. (Feel free to move)
BBC News - MP outlines major transport plan for region

MP Richard Tice outlines plans to revive Boston bypass scheme

The Boston and Skegness MP said he wants to see a bypass, as well as other road and rail improvements.

www.bbc.com

Reform UK's Richard Tice told a news conference at Boston Rugby Club he wanted to see a new relief road for Boston, turn the A16 to Peterborough into a dual carriageway and deliver various local rail improvements.

Very commendable, and something that politicians should be pressing for in the local constituency area. However, he then goes on to say.

In addition to the bypass and the A16 scheme, the plans include two new stations with park-and-ride facilities north and south of Boston, as well as a reconnection of the Spalding and Peterborough railway line.

Oh dear. If only good old 'Dickie Tice' had done a bit more research. He would know the current A16, between Boston and Spalding, predominantly uses the former railway alignment. Is he suggesting completely new infrastructure on valuable farm land, and its subsequent loss; something which he is opposed to when it comes to providing solar farms in Lincolnshire or for the route of electricity pylons across the county.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

I've placed this here, as it's merely a suggestion from a local MP, as opposed to actual work taking place. (Feel free to move)
BBC News - MP outlines major transport plan for region

MP Richard Tice outlines plans to revive Boston bypass scheme

The Boston and Skegness MP said he wants to see a bypass, as well as other road and rail improvements.

www.bbc.com

Very commendable, and something that politicians should be pressing for in the local constituency area. However, he then goes on to say.

Oh dear. If only good old 'Dickie Tice' had done a bit more research. He would know the current A16, between Boston and Spalding, predominantly uses the former railway alignment. Is he suggesting completely new infrastructure on valuable farm land, and its subsequent loss; something which he is opposed to when it comes to providing solar farms in Lincolnshire or for the route of electricity pylons across the county.

Turning the A16 into a dual carriageway is likely to involve using agricultural land and he probably is aware of that. Whether he is a railway nerd steeped in rail closure history is far less likely. However closing the line between Spalding and Boston seems foolish even to people like me, and it's not surprising that the Member for the area see the advantages for his constituents in re-opening a route. The question that should be put to Richard Tice is does he envisage the dual carriageway being an entirely new road, facilitating the abandonment of the existing road, enabling its re-use as a rail track bed or does he anticipate a completely new railway route.

 

[JLH4AC]

Oh dear. If only good old 'Dickie Tice' had done a bit more research. He would know the current A16, between Boston and Spalding, predominantly uses the former railway alignment. Is he suggesting completely new infrastructure on valuable farm land, and its subsequent loss; something which he is opposed to when it comes to providing solar farms in Lincolnshire or for the route of electricity pylons across the county.

The information about what his proposal for a rail link between Boston and Spalding entails is out there, his preliminary costed (Though due to imcompete reporting it is not clear what has been included in the cost as the cost estimate does seem a little low for a 3-6 mile line and the improvements to the existing lines to make it viable) rail link proposal goes via Bicker/Little Hale Fen. https://www.lincolnshireworld.com/n...-including-bypass-and-dualling-of-a16-5181969 https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/oth...m-bid-to-boost-south-lincolnshire/ar-AA1GTr5G While I am not sure of the actual value of the connection, I do have to give him credit for not mindlessly calling for a closed rail line to be restored unlike most local transport activists.

A small tract of land is being used for a local rail link is very different to large areas of land being used for solar farms that contributes to the National Grid and narrow yet colletivelly lagre tracts of land being used for pylons that expands the National Grid, they affect the land it is on and the surrounding area very differently and have different benefits and drawbacks nationally and locally, also there are viable renewable alternatives to solar farms on farmland such as off-shore wind/wave farms, increased investment in micro-generation, and building renewable power plants on existing brownfield land, and viable alternatives to pylons such as underground cables and subsea cables, and whereas the only real alternatives to building a local rail/road link is not to build them or some gadgetbahn.