East West Rail

In RAIL 872, Paul Stephen and Industry Insider describe East West Rail progress. Sadly, I now believe this will cost taxpayers more, not address passenger growth, and fail to serve areas where there is already travel demand.

Railways need to ‘follow the traffic’ if we are to get people out of cars. Highways England built the A14 to meet demand in East Anglia, widened the A428 west of Cambridge, extended the A421 from Bedford to the A1, and are now consulting on a route to fill the gap between the A421 and A428. This provides a unique opportunity to build the railway where demand is already growing, and use/co-use rail and road facilities already in place to reduce the need for new bridges and river crossings.

I had a meeting arranged with East West Rail for October 15. Plenty of time and an overhead

projector was promised, but on arrival I was told the projector didn’t work and I could only be spared 15 minutes, having spent 100 hours rewriting a business case from 16 years ago and preparing substantial handouts, and spending my own money and a day’s travel.

Industry Insider makes the point: “There is… criticism of a lack of dialogue with promoters who have devoted time and effort to develop ideas.”

My time and effort started 18 years ago as EWRC Project Officer, and the new A428 presents a unique opportunity to deliver a railway where it is needed. Here is a clue: St Neots Parkway.

Wasting my time and money is irrelevant. It’s the waste of taxpayers’ money and the lost opportunity that is unforgivable. Chris Hayward, Surrey