East-West Rail (EWR): Consultation updates [not speculation]

ashkeba · 22 Nov 2019

eastdyke said:
Why would anybody want to use it?
In addition to the X5 (as informed by @A0wen above), the X60 (Arriva) also serves Buckingham-MK Central in around 30 mins, twice per hour.

X5 is often busy and gets stuck in traffic. I have not used X60 because it doesn't serve Cambridge or Oxford.

RailUK Forums

eastdyke · 23 Nov 2019

ashkeba said:
X5 is often busy and gets stuck in traffic. I have not used X60 because it doesn't serve Cambridge or Oxford.

Mindful that this is slightly off topic, my comment related to all intending travellers to/from Buckingham. Milton Keynes being the most likely 'other end'.
For the rather fewer numbers who want Oxford or Cambridge (and to use rail to avoid being stuck in road traffic for the greater part of their journey) the same X60 stops close to the proposed site of Winslow Station. That's 2 buses per hour (not Sundays), journey time 10-12 minutes.
For all of the foreseeable I think that is as good as it gets for Buckingham.

A0wen · 24 Nov 2019

cle said:
Isn't 10,000 the threshold for re-openings being viable or at least up for discussion? A four mile, single track stretch and simple platform station can't be that terrible, surely. Borders spring to mind.

A shuttle from Buckingham > Winslow > Bletchley > MKC or it being an extension cross-Bletchley of the Marston, might be enough... 1tph.

Borders is incomparable - as i've pointed out many, many times, places such as Galashiels were over 30 miles from the nearest railhead as a result of the Borders line closure and the road network was and still is patchy.

Buckingham to MK is 12 miles with a sub 30 minute journey time to Central MK. The train - given the route it would need to take - would barely improve on this.

A0wen · 24 Nov 2019

Bletchleyite said:
Would probably make more sense to divert the bus via Bletchley (not the X5, the other one). I can see that happening.

No - because the reason no buses run directly from Bletchley to Buckingham is there is nothing on the A421 to serve, which is why they all run from MK Central, via Stony Stratford and Deanshanger.

richieb1971 · 1 Dec 2019

Are there any works at the Bletchley flyover going on over Xmas? Can you provide dates etc? Wouldn't mind going over to see any work being done.

Thanks.

bspahh · 1 Dec 2019

The November newsletter from England’s Economic Heartland http://www.englandseconomicheartland.com/latest-news/Pages/newsletters.aspx says:

Announcements delayed due to General Election
As a consequence of Parliament being dissolved and a General Election being called a number of key announcements on major transport schemes that were anticipated before the end of the year have been delayed. In particular:
• The outcome of the public inquiry into the next stage of East West Rail (linking Bicester with Bletchley/Milton Keynes, and Aylesbury to Milton Keynes) is now expected early in the New Year
• An announcement on the preferred route option for East West Rail’s central section – linking Bedford and Cambridge – is likewise now expected early in the New Year

The Planner · 1 Dec 2019

richieb1971 said:
Are there any works at the Bletchley flyover going on over Xmas? Can you provide dates etc? Wouldn't mind going over to see any work being done.

Thanks.

Big stuff is planned to happen first week of May.

Verulamius · 1 Dec 2019

To what extent is freight being looked at regarding the Bedford to Cambridge section?

There are a number of new freight terminals being built north of Milton Keynes and Daventry already exists.

Freight could travel to those terminals via the new Cambridge to Bedford line from the East ports if new curve was also built at Betchley towards Milton Keynes.

Bald Rick · 1 Dec 2019

Verulamius said:
To what extent is freight being looked at regarding the Bedford to Cambridge section?

There are a number of new freight terminals being built north of Milton Keynes and Daventry already exists.

Freight could travel to those terminals via the new Cambridge to Bedford line from the East ports if new curve was also built at Betchley towards Milton Keynes.

Daventry is too close to the East Coast ports to make intermodal trains an attractive option. There’s a couple of trains a day at most.

Class 170101 · 1 Dec 2019

Verulamius said:
To what extent is freight being looked at regarding the Bedford to Cambridge section?

There are a number of new freight terminals being built north of Milton Keynes and Daventry already exists.

Freight could travel to those terminals via the new Cambridge to Bedford line from the East ports if new curve was also built at Betchley towards Milton Keynes.

Got to get to Cambridge first from the east. Currently very limited capacity between Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds for freight due to single line sections and gauge restricted Newmarket tunnel.

DarloRich · 1 Dec 2019

Verulamius said:
To what extent is freight being looked at regarding the Bedford to Cambridge section?

There are a number of new freight terminals being built north of Milton Keynes and Daventry already exists.

Freight could travel to those terminals via the new Cambridge to Bedford line from the East ports if new curve was also built at Betchley towards Milton Keynes.

Sigh. Please see previous posts re curves. I cant be bothered to rehash it all

work-traveller · 2 Dec 2019

richieb1971 said:
Are there any works at the Bletchley flyover going on over Xmas? Can you provide dates etc? Wouldn't mind going over to see any work being done.

Thanks.

New OLE structures on the WCML with wires re-registered onto the new supports. Coring through some BFO piers.

David Stevens · 12 Dec 2019

Wrong thread. Can a mod please delete.

alexx · 16 Dec 2019

This appeared on the Cherwell District Council weekly planning applications list this morning - nothing overly exciting (it's regarding flood risks) but in case it's of interest:

App No: 19/02685/F
Ward: Bicester East Parish: Bicester
App No: 19/02824/TWAP
Site: East West Rail Network Phase 2 The Scheme Railway From London Road Bicester To, Talisman Road, Bicester Proposal: Approval in Principle - draft condition 12 (route wide phasing) of 18/01430/TWAO
Case Officer: Linda Griffiths

http://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/19/02824/TWAP

ewrfan · 16 Dec 2019

The new MP for South Cambs was on the news on Friday, and there was a report he wouldn't directly confirm about the railway going via Camborne.

si404 · 16 Dec 2019

ewrfan said:
The new MP for South Cambs was on the news on Friday, and there was a report he wouldn't directly confirm about the railway going via Camborne.

Given he had only been newly elected the night before, he simply wouldn't have had the time to have been become privy to this information. If he does know, then there's loads of questions about did other candidates know, how did he find out, etc.

And given its sensitive planning information, he wouldn't be allowed to divulge it anyway.

ewrfan · 16 Dec 2019

si404 said:
Given he had only been newly elected the night before, he simply wouldn't have had the time to have been become privy to this information. If he does know, then there's loads of questions about did other candidates know, how did he find out, etc.

And given its sensitive planning information, he wouldn't be allowed to divulge it anyway.

He'd been campaigning for it apparently. As you say, he wasn't allowed to divulge the information so wouldn't confirm it. It does tally up with the planning plan in the article I posted previously though, so it seems likely this route has been selected.

Andyjs247 · 16 Dec 2019

Oxford’s new gateline adjacent to platform 1 was open for business yesterday.

Skimble19 · 16 Dec 2019

ewrfan said:
He'd been campaigning for it apparently. As you say, he wasn't allowed to divulge the information so wouldn't confirm it. It does tally up with the planning plan in the article I posted previously though, so it seems likely this route has been selected.

Which route are you thinking, B or E?

ewrfan · 18 Dec 2019

Skimble19 said:
Which route are you thinking, B or E?

Looks more like E from the earlier article.

richieb1971 · 18 Dec 2019

Route E shows BDM as a through station and heading north before heading east.

You really think that won out in the end?

What about the Wixams station crossover with the line? (option B)

The area which the line will set out east from Oakley area is very hilly.

I assume in the event this gets built the junction at Oakley (or thereabouts) will be southern facing only? Would be nice to have a triangle.

Class 170101 · 18 Dec 2019

richieb1971 said:
View attachment 71710

Route E shows BDM as a through station and heading north before heading east.

You really think that won out in the end?

What about the Wixams station crossover with the line? (option B)

The area which the line will set out east from Oakley area is very hilly.

I assume in the event this gets built the junction at Oakley (or thereabouts) will be southern facing only? Would be nice to have a triangle.

Cambridge South Station also going out to Consultation next month (see Cambridge South thread, but would you say the shaded area above would serve the station or just miss it to the north?

camflyer · 19 Dec 2019

Good news if the Cambourne route is approved. Makes more sense than the Bassingbourn route even if it is more expensive - and it has the support of both South Cambs and Cambridge City councils. Just need to get on with building it!

Maltazer · 20 Dec 2019

I see no evidence to point to anything other than Route A (i.e the cheapeast option) being chosen.

The route WILL include the Cambridge South station, and once you've headed down that way, Cambourne is too far out of the way to make any sense.

Mal

D365 · 20 Dec 2019

Maltazer said:
I see no evidence to point to anything other than Route A (i.e the cheapeast option) being chosen.

The route WILL include the Cambridge South station, and once you've headed down that way, Cambourne is too far out of the way to make any sense.

I was under the impression that Cambridge South would be included on all southern access routes - no matter whether going via Cambourne or Bassingbourn.

Cambourne desperately needs a proper transport link between Cambridge and St. Neots. The pie in the sky “Cambridge Metro” is not going to happen for a very long time.

Maltazer · 20 Dec 2019

D365 said:
Cambourne desperately needs a proper transport link between Cambridge and St. Neots. The pie in the sky “Cambridge Metro” is not going to happen for a very long time.

Yes it does, but I just don't think it will happen as part of EW rail.

I hope the Cambridge Metro never happens - at least not in its automated bus format. I never understand why there is such an obsession with having to "innovate" with every new project - all you get is expensive, unreliable white elephants with no export potential whatsoever. For once they should just buy a proven off-the-shelf system, i.e a tram.

ashkeba · 20 Dec 2019

Maltazer said:
I never understand why there is such an obsession with having to "innovate" with every new project - all you get is expensive, unreliable white elephants with no export potential whatsoever. For once they should just buy a proven off-the-shelf system, i.e a tram.

What export potential would a tram offer? I did not realise the UK still made any.

59CosG95 · 20 Dec 2019

ashkeba said:
What export potential would a tram offer? I did not realise the UK still made any.

It wouldn't be UK-made as it currently stands. Most trams have been made overseas now; Bombardier (Manchester Metrolink) build in Vienna, Stadler (Sheffield Tram-Train, TfW Tram Train) in Valencia, CAF in Zaragoza, Alstom in La Rochelle/Reichshoffen/Valenciennes. Of those 4, only CAF looks viable for "home-grown" trams in Newport, as I believe Litchurch Lane only deals with DMUs/EMUs since Bombardier took over from ADTranz (who built the initial NET fleet of Incentro trams).

kaiser62 · 20 Dec 2019

ashkeba said:
What export potential would a tram offer? I did not realise the UK still made any.

I think the OP was suggesting that export potential was one of the justifications for trying unproven solutions, not that we made trams

Maltazer · 20 Dec 2019

ashkeba said:
What export potential would a tram offer?

None. And that was my point - we need to get on and build infrastructure without trying to reinvent the wheel every time.

East-West Rail (EWR): Consultation updates [not speculation]

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