58% in terms of car length equivalent of the vehicles using the Woodhead road is HGV traffic. This is causing enormous problems for the local communities along its length including high levels of pollution, dust and noise. Between 2000 and 2004 20 people have been killed on the road. Imagine what a difference this scheme could make by taking most of this HGV traffic off the road. The line has other advantages too. Established rail companies have already shown interest in using the line. There is currently no public transport between the major town of Barnsley and the city of Manchester and its airport. This line, connecting at Penistone, would provide this major link.
Left: The new Woodhead tunnel opened in 1953. It was used mainly for carrying coal from Barnsley and for carrying steel and passengers from Sheffield to Manchester. On opening, it was part of the most modern electrified main line in Britain and still is the only rail tunnel on mainland Britain wide enough to carry modern HGV’s piggybacked onto rail wagons in a twin track configuration. It was closed in 1981 by a short sighted Tory government that failed to adapt the railways for the needs of the 21st century. Today, it lies abandoned under the moors but still remains in excellent structural condition as seen in this recent photo.
Rolling highways are not a new idea. Several have been operating successfully in Continental Europe for decades, notably in Alpine areas. The Swiss in particular have a political system that is based on popular referendums, similar to what the BNP are proposing for Britain. This has meant the politicians haven’t been able to betray their voters wishes to finding a method of taking long distance lorry movements off its overstretched Alpine roads that have similar environmental sensitivities to those of our own Peak District National Park area. In 2005, 65% of all HGV traffic travelling through Switzerland to and from neighbouring countries never actually touched Swiss tarmac! This is expected to rise much more with the opening of the new Gotthard rail tunnels next year.
Right: HGVs are whisked through the Swiss Alps on a rolling road whilst drivers rest in the 
passenger/buffet coach. The system uses one tenth of the fuel that would be used if HGVs made the same journey by road and because the trains are hauled by electric traction, the highly populated Alpine towns suffer no airborne pollution and very little noise.
Whilst Continental Europe have been racing ahead over the last 30 years building brand new high speed passenger and freight lines, Barnsley Patriot has learned that the Translink project is already running into the same old political dogma that our lack-lustre politicians threw at Continental Railways plans to re-open the line only a few years ago. Whilst both of these schemes would have been completely self financing with no input from the taxpayer, the only thing our backward looking Labour politicians have done is invented excuses why the line cannot have permission to be rebuilt. Apparently they are worried that if the scheme fails, they will have to cough up some cash, yet they are, at the same time, set to spend £Billions of tax payers money on a secret agenda to drive a motorway through the Peak District National Park and to widen the M1 by up to 10 Lanes! On 6 June 1997, Labour, Transport Secretary, John Prescott, said: "I will have failed if in five years time there are not... far fewer journeys by car. It's a tall order but I urge you to hold me to it." by June 2002, car traffic was up by 7%. Between 1992 and 2002 the number of HGVs over 25 tonnes using our road network increased by over 45%. Add to this the fact the volume of goods carried by rail in 2001 was 5% less than it was in 1972, and a good explanation develops as to why our road network is struggling to cope with the amount of traffic using it.
Mark Kaye
RETURN TO BARNSLEY NATIONALISTS
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