Adrian Stott wrote: > You've probably by now heard the news of a further swingeing cut in > BW's grant. After it was already £30 million a year short of what it > needs to maintain the network. > > It's now got to the point that BW is going to have to make a nasty > decision. Does it go on trying to keep all its current waterways > open, but starve them all so they steadily deteriorate? Or does it > throw some passengers to the wolves by reclassifying some routes as > "Remainder" thus sharply cutting the costs of maintaining them and > thus being able to look after the rest properly. > > I'm afraid the answer is going to have to be the latter. > > So, start your nominations. > > Logically, I think one should pick routes for which there is a nearby > parallel and which have a lot of works to look after. Like the > Huddersfield Narrow (all those locks and that long tunnel, with the > Rochdale nearby), or the Worcs and Brum (lots of locks and several > tunnels, with alternatives being the Stratford and the S&W). > > Of course, perhaps BW's suggesting this seriously might cause such a > stink that some more money might be forthcoming ... > > Adrian > (not really joking)
For once I'm in complete agreement with Adrian. Whether these extra cuts are true or not, as things seem to be going there may well come a time where the "right" thing to do is to close something rather than let the whole network fall apart. In those circumstances, a high-profile recent restoration such as the HNC or the K&A would be far and away the best thing, allowing much to be made of the amount of public money that has been spent and that will be thrown away,
