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

[mr_moo]

Not even I know which route it's taking, despite me working on the Cambridge South station project. All very tight-lipped!

 

[JamCat]

I know. With the A428 I knew the route long before it was announced but on this one they seem to be watertight

Still no news, but we know it is due soon

 

[mr_moo]

I hear from internal sources that the government announcement should be late next week, probably next Thursday.

I still have no idea re North/South/cancel etc, but that's when we should officially hear.

 

[zwk500]

I hear from internal sources that the government announcement should be late next week, probably next Thursday.

I still have no idea re North/South/cancel etc, but that's when we should officially hear.

Is this the announcement of Bletchley-Bedford, Bedford-Cambridge or both, do you know?

 

[mr_moo]

Is this the announcement of Bletchley-Bedford, Bedford-Cambridge or both, do you know?

Definately Bedford to Cambridge section. No idea about Bletchley-Bedford.


Edit: Bedford to Cambridge, not Bletchley to Cambridge. I'm a twit.

 

[zwk500]

Definately Bletchley to Cambridge section. No idea about Bletchley-Bedford.

Ta

 

[Tobbes]

Do we have a release date yet?

 

[59CosG95]

I hear from internal sources that the government announcement should be late next week, probably next Thursday.

I still have no idea re North/South/cancel etc, but that's when we should officially hear.

Do we have a release date yet?

There you go.

 

[Tobbes]

Sorry - not with it today. Good, look forward to it.

 

[tspaul26]

I hear from internal sources that the government announcement should be late next week, probably next Thursday.

I still have no idea re North/South/cancel etc, but that's when we should officially hear.

Still wending its way around the houses. Formal decision paper hasn’t gone up to the minister yet.

Lots of mop-up in my inbox at the moment - it’s not been a fun week!

Exact date for the public announcement might slip into the week after the bank holiday depending on whether we get certain things boxed off tomorrow.

Is this the announcement of Bletchley-Bedford, Bedford-Cambridge or both, do you know?

Update on further optioneering and design work proposed for Oxford, Bicester and Bletchley to Bedford.

Preferred options announced for works in Bedford and the preferred alignment and station locations for Bedford to Cambridge.

Unless some last minute gremlin appears!

 

[Tobbes]

Still wending its way around the houses. Formal decision paper hasn’t gone up to the minister yet.

Lots of mop-up in my inbox at the moment - it’s not been a fun week!

Exact date for the public announcement might slip into the week after the bank holiday depending on whether we get certain things boxed off tomorrow.


Update on further optioneering and design work proposed for Oxford, Bicester and Bletchley to Bedford.

Preferred options announced for works in Bedford and the preferred alignment and station locations for Bedford to Cambridge.

Unless some last minute gremlin appears!

Thanks - very helpful

 

[59CosG95]

Still wending its way around the houses. Formal decision paper hasn’t gone up to the minister yet.

Lots of mop-up in my inbox at the moment - it’s not been a fun week!

Exact date for the public announcement might slip into the week after the bank holiday depending on whether we get certain things boxed off tomorrow.


Update on further optioneering and design work proposed for Oxford, Bicester and Bletchley to Bedford.

Preferred options announced for works in Bedford and the preferred alignment and station locations for Bedford to Cambridge.

Unless some last minute gremlin appears!

Well, I'm praying for electrification to fall under the "further optioneering and design work proposed for Oxford, Bicester and Bletchley to Bedford" heading! However, as I'm not particularly religious, I'm expecting these prayers to go unanswered...

 

[JamCat]

Thanks for the update

 

[tspaul26]

I am informed that the minister has now given final approval of the announcement so it should go live tomorrow.

 

[Tobbes]

I am informed that the minister has now given final approval of the announcement so it should go live tomorrow.

Excellent - tomorrow is looking like a day with lots of genuine news, which has clearly got nothing to do with the net immigration figures that came out today...

 

[zwk500]

I am informed that the minister has now given final approval of the announcement so it should go live tomorrow.

Excellent news! Isn't it a bit unusual for good news to be given on a friday, or are they planning to slide a large amount of unmentionable news out underneath it?

 

[edwin_m]

Excellent news! Isn't it a bit unusual for good news to be given on a friday, or are they planning to slide a large amount of unmentionable news out underneath it?

It's probably not going to go down well in certain quarters, including certain Tory seats west of Cambridge.

 

[mr_moo]

Oh we are all such cynics! (And quite justifiably so!)

 

[mwmbwls]

Friday was the last day that Parliament was sitting before summer recess.MP's have to be advised of Government decisions first - so this is traditionally a day to clear the decks of contentious announcements. The Americans call it "Taking out the Trash"day. Expect objections in Bedford and Cambridgshire. The Network Rail media site has just published images of worl proceeding at Cambridge South https://www.networkrailmediacentre....-holiday-if-travelling-via-cambridge-or-grays

 

[Snow1964]

BBC reporting route is due to be announced

East-West Rail: £5bn rail link route set to be announced

The East-West Rail project was previously said to have "major issues".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Doctor Fegg]

There's also a trailer in this announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday:

Chancellor reveals life sciences growth package to fire up economy

A £650 million war-chest to fire up the UK’s life sciences sector and drive forward the government’s priority to grow the economy has been unveiled by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt today 25 May 2023.

www.gov.uk

The Chancellor’s £650 million package also includes plans to relaunch the Academic Health Science Network as Health Innovation Networks to boost innovation by bringing together the NHS, local communities, charities, academia and industry to share best practice. It also lays out changes to planning rules to free-up lab space and updates a route for East West Rail (EWR), the new railway line, to improve connections between UK science powerhouses Oxford and Cambridge, bringing more investment to the region.

 

[kevin_roche]

There's also a trailer in this announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday:

Chancellor reveals life sciences growth package to fire up economy

A £650 million war-chest to fire up the UK’s life sciences sector and drive forward the government’s priority to grow the economy has been unveiled by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt today 25 May 2023.

www.gov.uk

It also says:

The government has also signalled its ongoing commitment to the transformational new East West Rail line between Oxford and Cambridge. This region is a globally renowned hub of science, research and innovation, and the railway will support job creation and growth at towns and cities along the route. Today it announced its preferred route alignment for the third section of the railway between Bedford and Cambridge, including a direct link to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, marking a significant step towards delivering the scheme.

They must have got their dates mixed up.

 

[Jammy Dodger]

They must have got their dates mixed up.

Seems they have "leaked" that the approach will be to the south!

(is it a leak if it comes from an official source...?)

 

[tspaul26]

It also says:


They must have got their dates mixed up.

The EWR announcement was originally planned for yesterday, but has been postponed. Evidently that statement wasn’t updated prior to publication.

 

[zwk500]

The EWR announcement was originally planned for yesterday, but has been postponed. Evidently that statement wasn’t updated prior to publication.

Is it still being made today or has it been pushed later? If it's today, do you know a rough time?

 

[tspaul26]

Is it still being made today or has it been pushed later? If it's today, do you know a rough time?

No specific time. Probably around lunchtime, although uploading documents to the websites may take a bit longer

 

[zwk500]

No specific time. Probably around lunchtime, although uploading documents to the websites may take a bit longer

Many thanks

 

[Snow1964]

The government has also signalled its ongoing commitment to the transformational new East West Rail line between Oxford and Cambridge. This region is a globally renowned hub of science, research and innovation, and the railway will support job creation and growth at towns and cities along the route. Today it announced its preferred route alignment for the third section of the railway between Bedford and Cambridge, including a direct link to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, marking a significant step towards delivering the scheme.

Chancellor reveals life sciences growth package to fire up economy

A £650 million war-chest to fire up the UK’s life sciences sector and drive forward the government’s priority to grow the economy has been unveiled by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt today 25 May 2023.

www.gov.uk

Sort of gives a clue, and implies detail is about to be released by DfT, but should have come out yesterday

 

[zwk500]

Chancellor reveals life sciences growth package to fire up economy

A £650 million war-chest to fire up the UK’s life sciences sector and drive forward the government’s priority to grow the economy has been unveiled by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt today 25 May 2023.

www.gov.uk

Sort of gives a clue, and implies detail is about to be released by DfT, but should have come out yesterday

That summary doesn't really give much greater detail than the already confirmed Corridor E via St Neots area, Cambourne and a southern approach. The proper announcement is what we are waiting patiently for.

 

[Jammy Dodger]

Is there any knowledge of if the next phase (Bedford - Cambridge) will be electrified, or is it still "electrify after construction"?