richieb1971
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- 28 Jan 2013
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As a Bedfordian, sympathizer to the route E NIMBY's I decided to put together a case on here for my preferences for the Bedford section of the EWR argument for not using route E, or at least the part that requires going through Bedford Midland.
This is route C as laid out in the following doc - https://eastwestrail-production.s3....nnouncement-Preferred-Route-Option-Report.pdf (page 42).
Route C: Bedford South – Tempsford area – Sandy – Cambridge (via Bassingbourn): EWR could serve a new station to the south of Bedford, providing an interchange with the Midland Main Line. The route could then loop round to serve a new station on the East Coast Main Line in the broad area around Tempsford, before continuing on or alongside the East Coast Main Line and providing a further interchange via the existing Sandy station. EWR could then diverge from the East Coast Main Line south of the existing Sandy station and continue eastwards across South Cambridgeshire between Arrington and Bassingbourn. The route could then connect to the West Anglia Main Line into Cambridge around Great Shelford (possibly via first connecting to the existing Hitchin-Cambridge line).
So above, we have the area of Kempston in the upper reaches of the map, Wixams on the East side, Stewartby and Ampthill to the south.
So what are the pros of my plan -
Bedford Midland still connected - With the caveat that extra train paths will be required to go into Bedford Midland
ALL passenger traffic bypasses the requirement to use the slows north of Bedford
Clapham//Brickhill/Poets is spared lots of disruption to their neighbourhood because of the diversion of traffic south of Bedford.
The End to end times would be marginally improved from Oxford to Cambridge (no traversing the slow corners, junctions and congestion of Bedford Midland)
Wixams gets a station which has 2 tiers for EWR and MML which increases the use of the station and gives an ALL direction connection
Bedford Midland station largely stays as it is now with zero requirement for a makeover
We have a northern arc from the East as shown on the left of the map, via a triangulated junction near Kempston Hardwick. It should be noted that zero northern Arcs exist from the East in the current plans.
The land here is much flatter for a railway.
Thameslink and EMR trains can terminate and use the same platforms like they do at Bedford as present
No requirement to adjust Bedford depots/Jowitt sidings.
St Johns can remain as is, with the option to make the improvements on line speed as described in the route E plan.
Road Traffic is moved from the Town centre of Bedford to the outskirts of town.
No bridges need to be replaced north or south of Bedford.
Freight Movements can go in any direction using the triangulated junction. With huge potential to reroute Felixstowe traffic via the MML.
If a Freight company wanted to take Forders Sidings, it would be ideally located near an ALL direction junction for connectivity purposes. There are currently lots of mothballed lanes in those sidings been sitting there for years.
If a southern connection to MML was required, a 1 track connection could be done.
What are the negatives -
Bedford Midland will not be a through station for any services on EWR (With the caveat that trains can terminate, or reverse from platform 1a to go in the opposite direction via the triangulated junction). If Milton Keynes can get a service like this, I Don't see why Bedford cannot.
Other considerations.
After seeing the Wixams station plans today, I would put a through road for freight on the MML as part of the widening where the station will appear. Stopping freight north and south of Bedford on one of the main lines is just silly.
Route E plans can resume east of Bedford.
Route £ (E) as I call it is costed on grounds which haven't really come to light yet. With protests in and around Bedford heightening I think this new route would hit a lot of home runs without disrupting the town as it is currently about to do.
This is route C as laid out in the following doc - https://eastwestrail-production.s3....nnouncement-Preferred-Route-Option-Report.pdf (page 42).
Route C: Bedford South – Tempsford area – Sandy – Cambridge (via Bassingbourn): EWR could serve a new station to the south of Bedford, providing an interchange with the Midland Main Line. The route could then loop round to serve a new station on the East Coast Main Line in the broad area around Tempsford, before continuing on or alongside the East Coast Main Line and providing a further interchange via the existing Sandy station. EWR could then diverge from the East Coast Main Line south of the existing Sandy station and continue eastwards across South Cambridgeshire between Arrington and Bassingbourn. The route could then connect to the West Anglia Main Line into Cambridge around Great Shelford (possibly via first connecting to the existing Hitchin-Cambridge line).
So above, we have the area of Kempston in the upper reaches of the map, Wixams on the East side, Stewartby and Ampthill to the south.
So what are the pros of my plan -
Bedford Midland still connected - With the caveat that extra train paths will be required to go into Bedford Midland
ALL passenger traffic bypasses the requirement to use the slows north of Bedford
Clapham//Brickhill/Poets is spared lots of disruption to their neighbourhood because of the diversion of traffic south of Bedford.
The End to end times would be marginally improved from Oxford to Cambridge (no traversing the slow corners, junctions and congestion of Bedford Midland)
Wixams gets a station which has 2 tiers for EWR and MML which increases the use of the station and gives an ALL direction connection
Bedford Midland station largely stays as it is now with zero requirement for a makeover
We have a northern arc from the East as shown on the left of the map, via a triangulated junction near Kempston Hardwick. It should be noted that zero northern Arcs exist from the East in the current plans.
The land here is much flatter for a railway.
Thameslink and EMR trains can terminate and use the same platforms like they do at Bedford as present
No requirement to adjust Bedford depots/Jowitt sidings.
St Johns can remain as is, with the option to make the improvements on line speed as described in the route E plan.
Road Traffic is moved from the Town centre of Bedford to the outskirts of town.
No bridges need to be replaced north or south of Bedford.
Freight Movements can go in any direction using the triangulated junction. With huge potential to reroute Felixstowe traffic via the MML.
If a Freight company wanted to take Forders Sidings, it would be ideally located near an ALL direction junction for connectivity purposes. There are currently lots of mothballed lanes in those sidings been sitting there for years.
If a southern connection to MML was required, a 1 track connection could be done.
What are the negatives -
Bedford Midland will not be a through station for any services on EWR (With the caveat that trains can terminate, or reverse from platform 1a to go in the opposite direction via the triangulated junction). If Milton Keynes can get a service like this, I Don't see why Bedford cannot.
Other considerations.
After seeing the Wixams station plans today, I would put a through road for freight on the MML as part of the widening where the station will appear. Stopping freight north and south of Bedford on one of the main lines is just silly.
Route E plans can resume east of Bedford.
Route £ (E) as I call it is costed on grounds which haven't really come to light yet. With protests in and around Bedford heightening I think this new route would hit a lot of home runs without disrupting the town as it is currently about to do.
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