The Minsters Rail Campaign, which actively pushes for a new railway link between York and Hull, via Beverley, is organising a campaign session on Toll Gavel in Beverley on Saturday from 1pm, and Graham will be there to lend his support.
Graham has long supported the campaign for a new railway between York and Hull, which received £50,000 in government funding under the previous government’s Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund (since scrapped by the Labour administration).
The Minsters Rail Campaign is pressing hard to get funding for a Strategic Outline Business Case to be included in the manifestos for Hull and East Riding mayoral campaigns.
The project is supported by local MPs, including Dame Diana Johnson (Lab, Hull North and Cottingham), Emma Hardy (Lab, Hull West and Haltemprice), Charlie Dewhirst (Con, Bridlington and the Wolds) and Sir David Davis (Con, Goole and Pocklington).
The campaign event on Saturday will take the form of a street stall, with members of the Campaign group available to answer any questions and to ask people to sign a letter of support for this Campaign to be in manifestos for all mayoral candidates.
Graham has been at the forefront of getting this project moving. He has organised briefings of MPs in Parliament, obtained a commitment that the £168 million Local Transport Fund could fund the project (prior to the current Government refusing to commit to the funding) and has worked closely with the Minsters Rail group for many years.
Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, commented, "We need to keep up momentum to move York to Hull Rail forward – and on Saturday we will build on the incredible public support the railway proposal already has.
“Minsters Rail is a first-class campaign group and I’m grateful that they’ve invited me to help them put the case for the railway to the people of Beverley.
“I hope to see many people at Toll Gavel on Saturday!”
Roy Begg, Project Manager of the Minsters Rail Campaign said, “We at Minsters Rail are really looking forward to talking to people in Beverley about the benefits a new railway line between York and Hull would bring.
“Graham has been a stalwart supporter of the railway so it’s great to have him with us.
“It’ll be a massive challenge to get this railway to the planning stages, but it’s the right project for our area and I hope all the mayoral candidates get on board.”