When will rail bosses ever learn?

www.bromsgroverail.org.uk

The Cheltenham National Hunt Festival, which takes place from March 14th to 17th, represents once again a missed opportunity for the growing hospitality economy of Bromsgrove and North Worcestershire. Why?

More than 250,000 people from all over England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland flock to the Gloucestershire town to watch the best hurdlers and steeplechasers in the world compete.

Many of the visitors will be looking for overnight accommodation, food and drink in the evenings in the surrounding areas. And it will be very easy for the tens of thousands who fly in from Ireland to Birmingham Airport to travel onwards from New Street station via the Cross City Line to Bromsgrove to stay for the four nights of the festival.

It is then only a 20 to 25 minute direct train journey from Bromsgrove station to Cheltenham Spa station, from which there is a shuttle bus service to the racecourse.

But there is a major snag, as you will have read in last month’s BARRUP article in Completely Bromsgrove. Cross Country Trains, which travels from New Street through Bromsgrove to Cheltenham Spa and beyond, do not stop any of its services at Bromsgrove, even though it used to and there is no reason of which BARRUP is aware why it couldn’t, and it is adamant that it will not do so.

Since 2018, BARRUP, and its predecessor BRUG, has been arguing the case for Cross Country Trains to stop at Bromsgrove, so that the significant economic benefits to the North East Worcestershire district of the visitors to the festival can be realised. Our arguments have fallen on deaf ears and the opportunity to boost the local economy in 2023 has been missed.

So, once again, BARRUP would urge the town’s MP, Sajid Javid, Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority, the leaders of Bromsgrove District Council, Worcestershire County Council, Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, Worcestershire LEP, Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, North Worcestershire Economic Regeneration and Development and business leaders and businesses in North East Worcestershire to come together to put pressure on Cross Country Trains to stop its services at Bromsgrove, so that the town and district can take advantage of the economic opportunities afforded by the festival in 2024.

by Nick Taylor