Thousands will benefit ‘if rail line is restored’
AS MANY as 165,000 people could benefit from rail links to Cambridge if the Haverhill railway line is restored, a new report claims.
People in Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire could benefit from using the railway rather than the A1307 corridor, according to the report by Jonathan Roberts Consulting (JRC).
Railfuture East Anglia commissioned a study of the A1307 corridor to find out how restoring the Haverhill line could better serve the region. A spokesperson for Railfuture East Anglia said the JRC shows there is a “strong case for the restoration of the railway”.
Principal stops on the line between Cambridge and Haverhill would include Cambridge South, Granta Park, Linton, Haverhill Parkway, and Haverhill Town Centre.
Modelling suggests that between 90,000 and 165,000 people would be covered by the railway’s catchment area, including residents in Thaxted, Braintree, Sudbury, and Bury St Edmunds.
A Railfuture East Anglia spokesperson said: “The study shows that the railway would attract very big passenger numbers, reflecting the already large passenger flows travelling by road along the A1307 Corridor.
“Potential rail passenger numbers are considerable, 2,000 and more per hour during the peak period.”
They said commuting could increase if Cambridge city brings in “car restraint policies”.
Increasing dormitory area populations could also see an increase in rail commuting to the city.
The organisation said re-opening the railway line was a better option than the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s proposed Cambridge South-East Transport (CSET) bus road.
“Only a rail-based solution can provide the capacity to shift the numbers of people that this report demonstrates will need moving into the city with its future growth,” a spokesperson added.
For more information and to read the report, go to: railfuture.org.uk/ East-Anglia-Haverhill