Commenting on bids being submitted today to the Government’s “Reverse Beeching” Restoring Your Railway fund, Stoke-on-Trent Central MP, Jo Gideon said:
“I hugely grateful to local business for joining me to get Etruria station reopened, too – built back better. My bid for Etruria comes with pledges of £5,000 each towards a proper feasibility study and strategic outline business case from bet365 and Vodafone. Both companies face terrible workplace parking issues in Etruria, and I know from residents that these parking issues spill over into local streets. Reopening a station at Etruria would cut road congestion and parking problems for everyone. Business has really stepped up to the plate, and I thank them for that. The City Centre BID and Chambers of Commerce are also supporting me.
Any new station at Etruria needs better pedestrian access to Basford, Etruria and Festival Park than the old one taken from us in 2005. I think there is an exciting opportunity to explore opening up Fowlea Brook, working with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, and better links to the canal network and Etruria Industrial Museum – and to the New Vic Theatre across in Newcastle-under-Lyme. And I am grateful to First Potteries for saying they would engage on getting the bus services right, too, so we have the integrated public transport provision we need.
I have held meetings with all the passenger train operators serving Stoke, and they all support a robust feasibility study being made. Train companies didn’t want Etruria to close in the first place. We are looking for the nod from the Government to get our fair share of the dedicated fund and have a proper look at what can be done with local support.”
I am also delighted to be co-sponsoring a bid with my MP colleagues along the line to reopen Stoke-Leek rail services.. There is a real need and desire for better public transport in Stoke-on-Trent. 30% of households locally don’t have a car, and it’s great that we’ve worked so closely together as MPs along the line to get North Staffordshire moving again – for everyone.”
