East West Rail
FIVE route options have been revealed for the Central section of the East West Rail scheme between Bedford and Cambridge.
A public consultation on the proposals will now run until March 11. They comprise two options for a northern route via Cambourne, and three options for a more southerly route through south Cambridgeshire via Bassingbourn.
The various options include potential new stations at Cambourne, St Neots, Sandy, Tempsford and Bassingbourn, as part of a project that is anticipated to cost more than £3 billion.
The Central section is expected to be built by 2027 and will complete the reinstatement of a direct link between Oxford and Cambridge, following the closure of the former Varsity Line as a through-route in 1967.
The East West Rail scheme is being built in three stages, with the first section between Oxford and Bicester opening in 2016 and work currently under way to complete the line from Bicester to Bedford.
While the Western sections between Oxford and Bedford can be delivered by reinstating mothballed track between Bicester and Bletchley and by upgrading the Marston Vale line from Bletchley to Bedford, the Central section requires new infrastructure, having been dismantled shortly after closure in 1967.
Several sections of the former trackbed between Cambridge and Bedford have also now been lost to development, particularly at Sandy and Potton where new housing now occupies the former route.
Formed in 2017 by Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling, the East West Railway Company is responsible for delivering the infrastructure and planned passenger services between the two university cities.
The company will now oversee the six-week public consultation on the Central section and eight community events that are scheduled to be held across the corridor between Bedford and Cambridge.
It will then use its findings to develop a detailed route alignment before holding a more formal, statutory consultation in 2021.
EWR Chief Executive Simon Blanchflower said: “Bedford, Cambridge and the communities in between need the right kind of infrastructure between them. We’re hoping that residents will give useful feedback on these route options to help us understand more about the priorities of the people this line will serve.”
Grayling added: “The launch of
this consultation marks a significant milestone is bringing this project to fruition. EWR will transform journeys in one of Europe’s most vibrant economic regions, providing passengers and businesses with the transport system they deserve while unlocking the area’s economic potential.”
Backed by the National Infrastructure Commission, East West Rail forms part of government proposals to deliver growth in the Oxford to Cambridge arc and to unlock land for new homes and jobs.
Dave Hodgson, chairman of England’s Economic Heartland’s Strategic Transport Forum (the subnational transport body for the OxfordCambridge arc), said: “EWR is a fundamental part of the infrastructure required to enable economic growth in the Heartland, by transforming the travel choices available for individuals and businesses while achieving net gain for the environment.
“I welcome this announcement as another significant step forward in delivering EWR at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Details of the eight community events, and how feedback to the public consultation can be submitted online or by post, are available at: https://eastwestrail.co.uk/haveyoursay