Hucknall: Nottinghamshire County Councillors express concerns over uncertainty surrounding Maid Marian Line and other rail investment promises

Some North Nottinghamshire councillors have called for a guarantee two major rail projects will receive Government investment following "uncertainty" over the Integrated Rail Plan.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps unveiled the plan to the Commons last week, outlining scaled back and altered proposals to high-speed and regional rail travel in England.

Part of the announcement included plans to explore and "exploit" proposals to reopen a disused line in Nottinghamshire and to extend the currently operational Robin Hood Line into remote areas.

However, several politicians had believed the Government would announce a full commitment to the plans – despite Mr Shapps saying there is "much more work to do … to bring them to life".

If the plans went ahead, the Maid Marian Line would reopen to passengers for the first time since its closure during the 1960s Beeching Cuts.

The line would be used to connect Kirkby-in-Ashfield (which is the next station along the Robin Hood Line from Hucknall) with Selston, Pinxton and eventually Toton, where a new railway station is planned as a replacement for the HS2 hub. This will now be based at East Midlands Parkway.

The Maid Marian Line would connect with the Robin Hood Line, which runs through Hucknall, to offer connectivity for people as north as Worksop to the high-speed hub and the new Toton station. The plans also include extending the Robin Hood line to Ollerton and Edwinstowe.

However, speaking during Thursday's full council meeting, some councillors were concerned over the Government's wording of the promise.

Councillor Mike Pringle (Lab), who represents Ollerton, said: "The fact last week's IRP announcement did not guarantee the funding for local rail projects, namely the Maid Marian Line and Robin Hood Line, is deeply concerning to me.

"My residents in Ollerton need that connectivity, and frankly after years of under-investment, we deserve it.

"I'm going to be like a dog with a bone on this. That infrastructure is absolutely essential to achieving the council's 10-year vision and to growing our local economy."

Cllr David Martin (Ash Ind), who represents Selston, added: "The benefits for the whole of Nottinghamshire would be huge, from Worksop right through to Mansfield, Sutton, Kirkby and Selston.

"Connectivity is all we really need, and we need certainty it will go ahead. It's [barely] mentioned in the IRP, but all our MPs are saying it is.

"All we're asking for is support and clarity on its direction."

Responding to their concerns, however, Cllr Ben Bradley (Con), leader of the council and MP for Mansfield, suggested the Government will commit to both proposals.

He said: "Those IRP projects were named in the document, the Maid Marian Line and the Robin Hood Line, and Michael Gove has given assurances that projects named will be funded and delivered.

"The Treasury has an envelope of funding it gives to the IRP and we will be pushing to make sure they are funded.

"It's worth saying that, outside Nottinghamshire, there were very few projects named in that document, and that's not a coincidence."

In the published IRP, there was not a firm commitment from the Government that both projects will be funded.

The IRP report states the Government will explore proposals for both lines in the hope of linking them to Toton and East Midlands Parkway.

The document said: "We will look to exploit any linkages with other investment in Nottinghamshire, including integrating plans for Toton and proposals for reopening and extending the Maid Marian and the Robin Hood lines."

Mr Shapps was asked about both the Nottinghamshire lines by Cllr Bradley after the IRP was announced on November 18.

Speaking in the Commons, he said: "He is right to say that those two lines get a mention in today's programme. There is much more work to do, of course, to bring them to life."

The Department for Transport has been contacted for clarification.