PETITION HANDOVER SEPTEMBER 22nd 2012

The official handover of MRLC's petition calling for a passenger train service and a new station for Middlewich took place on Saturday September 22nd in the Bull Ring, Middlewich.
Middlewich's MP Fiona Bruce is seen accepting the petition from Cllr Mike Parsons.
Also in the photograph are (left to right): Cllr Paul Edwards, Cllr Sonya Edwards, Town Mayor Cllr Simon McGrory, Cllr Keith Bagnall Cllr Andrew Malloy (Knutsford) and Deputy Town Mayor, Cllr Bernice Walmsley.
The fact that Sonya and Bernice are 'in uniform' is explained by the fact that the handover took place during Middlewich's second Wartime Weekend, as can be seen from the banner in the background.
The petition will enable Fiona to raise the matter of the Middlewich line in Parliament, and MRLC would like to record its appreciation of all the hard work put in by everyone who helped obtain the signatures, and in particular to Cllr Peter Hirst.

SEE ALSO: OFFICIAL HANDOVER OF THE MRLC PETITION (ARCHIVED)

OFFICIAL HAND OVER OF THE MRLC PETITION TO FIONA BRUCE MP (ARCHIVED)

(ARCHIVED 25/09/2012)

Councillor Mike Parsons writes:


Hello all,

Just to let you know that the Petition we raised to reopen the Middlewich branch line to passenger traffic and provide a station at Middlewich is now complete. We have raised the target of 2,000 signatures (bar a few!!) and it is my pleasure to invite you all to the official handover next Saturday (22nd. Sep.), at 10.30 am. in the Bull Ring.

Fiona Bruce MP has kindly offered to come along and formally receive the Petition in front of the press and I would like to see as many of the local traders and residents who have been involved with this present for the photograph. If you could, therefore, please pass this message on to anyone you know who  has helped to promote the campaign (it is impossible for me to know who they all are), I would be most grateful, as I would hate anyone to be left out.

So come along and bring as many with you as you can.  We need a real good show of unity and strength for Fiona to take to Westminster and me to take to the meetings I have managed to get organised with Cheshire East Officers. We've won the fight to beat off the Incinerator; now let's go out and win the fight for our station!

See you Saturday.

Mike   

SEE ALSO: PETITION HANDOVER 22nd SEPTEMBER (PHOTO)

READERS URGED TO SIGN RAIL PETITION - KNUTSFORD GUARDIAN REPORT

The Knutsford Guardian recently carried a report explaining why Knutsford Town Councillor Andrew Malloy was urging residents of Knutsford to sign MRLC's petition calling for the re-opening of a station in Middlewich, and the introduction of a passenger service on the Sandbach-Middlewich-Northwich line:

'A KNUTSFORD councillor is backing a neighbouring town’s campaign to reopen a railway line that has been closed to passengers for more than half a century.

Clr Andrew Malloy believes the plans to upgrade the Northwich to Sandbach line would improve rail services in Knutsford.

The Thorneyholme Drive resident is encouraging Guardian readers to sign a petition which will be presented to Parliament by Fiona Bruce MP in the autumn....'

(excerpt reproduced with permission)

To read the rest of the report, please follow this link:

READERS URGED TO SIGN RAIL PETITION.

Councillor Malloy has, of course, correctly identified another advantage of re-opening the Middlewich line to passenger trains - the opportunity for passengers living in Knutsford and other stations on the Mid-Cheshire line East of Northwich to travel direct to Crewe (and thus to destinations all over the country) without first having to journey into Stockport or Manchester and change trains (their only other even vaguely realistic current option being a lengthy journey to Chester and a change of train there for Crewe).

This photograph was taken at the July meeting of the MRLC committee and shows:

(left to right) Fiona Bruce MP, Harry Boardman, Stephen Dent, Wayne Jones, Cllr Mike Parsons and

Cllr Peter Hirst with the petition which will help Fiona raise the matter of the Middlewich line in Parliament.

SEE ALSO: KNUTSFORD TOWN COUNCIL ENDORSES RAIL LINK PLAN