Calls for old train stations to be reopened for forest tourists

MP SAYS PUBLIC TRANSPORT LINKS ARE ‘INADEQUATE’ AND ‘INCONSISTENT’

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

Passengers boarding a Robin Hood Line train at Bulwell Station

REOPENING train stations that closed decades ago has been suggested as a way to boost visitors to Sherwood Forest.

Talks have been held for years on extending the Robin Hood Line by reopening stations in North Nottinghamshire and, although momentum cooled years ago, the issue has been raised again in a debate about promoting forest tourism.

The home of the Robin Hood legend was the subject of a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament on Tuesday led by Labour's Sherwood Forest MP Michelle Welsh.

She said Sherwood Forest was “one of the most recognisable places in the world” and Rushcliffe Labour MP James Naish said the forest would play a key role in a plan to expand East Midlands tourism by £1 billion.

Ms Welsh said visitor numbers could be even stronger with better transport links, arguing: “Many factors contribute to supporting a thriving tourism economy.

“Most notable for rural areas such as Sherwood Forest are adequate transport, support for business and community investment.