Before the scope of works to Bletchley flyover was increased, would the full cost have been charged to the east-west rail project?
Now that the scope has increased, will the new higher cost be fully charged to EWR?
For those on twitter https://twitter.com/ProgressEast provides regular photo updates on progress (without speculation(!))
Bedford residents, councillors and MPs have called for further consultation on the rail link between Oxford and Cambridge as opposition to the proposed route mounts.
In January 2020, the government announced that East West Rail (EWR) Route E – through Bedford Midland station – had been chosen.
While there is universal agreement that an East – West rail link is vital to the infrastructure of the region, critics of the chosen route say it is the most expensive, will bring 24-hour freight trains through the heart of the town and will devastate the local environment.
One petition, calling for Bedford Borough Council (BBC) to review their decision to support the chosen route, has accumulated over 1,000 signatures in two weeks.
However, according to the report by Kilborn Consulting, commissioned by Bedford Borough Council in March 2019, “The location of the Wixams station, which has been fixed by recent work for BBC and is tightly constrained by signalling, electrification and developer requirements.
“In order to capture funding from the developer, the Wixams station will be built well before the EWR is under construction.”
At this rate EWR will never be built if there is more consultation.Seems some NIMBY groups in Bedford are unhappy with the chosen route to Cambridge.
Further consultation called for as opposition grows to chosen East West Rail route - Bedford Independent
Bedford residents, councillors and MPs have called for further consultation on the rail link between Oxford and Cambridge as...www.bedfordindependent.co.uk
Also has this interesting quote:
I assumed the proposed Wixams station was now dead and buried, especially after "Bedford South" (a potential station on EWR, near to Wixams and the Interchange Retail Park; linking to the MML but avoding Bedford Midland station) was killed off after choosing the preferred route instead. I know the report/quote is from 2019 but is there any further progress on Wixams as a Thameslink-only station?
I don't think there will be any consultations specifically to meet the calls for more consultation, but further consultations are inevitable when they move from a preferred corridor to a specific proposed route.At this rate EWR will never be built if there is more consultation.
but further consultations are inevitable when they move from a preferred corridor to a specific proposed route.
Don’t let the facts etc, eh?It's the "24/7" freight issue again, like in Cambridge.
It'll be EWR's equivalent to HS2's "just about businessmen getting to Birmingham 20 minutes faster".
These posts have been moved to:The last 6 comments have been discussing Coventry- Leamington line....!
Bedford Council’s Conservative leader slammed the Liberal Democrats for gutter politics over taking a recorded vote on the divisive issue of the proposed route of the East West Rail.
At a combative meeting of the council this week the Lib Dems hit back at their opponents, accusing them of “flip flopping” and failing to represent their constituents when the issue was consulted on in 2019.
The Tories are in attack mode over a “lack of consultation” on council support for Route E which will take it through north Beds on its way between Oxford and Cambridge.
Cllr Graeme Coombes, the Conservative leader, admitted he had supported taking the line to the north. The Conservatives support the principle of East West Rail.
He said for his ward, the most important issue is making sure that Wixams gets a station.
“It sums up the gutter level of the Liberal Democrats turning everything into a party political debate. I suggest they all grow up,” he said.
Councillors were discussing their response to a petition from Steve Arnold, of Ravensden, which had gathered nearly 1,600 signatures before Wednesday’s meeting.
Cllr Coombes said it is wrong to say Route E had unanimous support.
Other councillors said the Conservatives have taken part in votes on issues, including the local plan which included support for the railway through Bedford. Cllr Foster pointed out she had not supported the local plan.
Cllr Michael Headley (Lib Dem, Putnoe) said East West Rail will be launching another consultation within weeks and he urged residents to get involved.
He added: “Residents will ask themselves where were these councillors in 2019? Why weren’t them informing them?”
Protestors said they had been believed Route E would not be chosen because of high costs, which had changed.
Read:Further consultation called for as opposition grows to chosen East West Rail route
He said support for Route E was transparent and part of a cross party lobbying effort over 25 years.
He added that southern routes could kill off Wixams station hopes.
For Cllr Coombes Wixams station is number one priority “always, forever and first.”
“I supported route E to stand up for my ward,” he said.
But he claimed Route E would be a “Trojan Horse” to open up development sites on “large swathes” north of Bedford.
Concern was expressed by members of the public at the prospect of more than 20 freight trains using it every day.
Mr Arnold recoiled at the thought of “juggernaut” diesel trains disturbing residents.
But Cllr Ben Foley (Green, Castle) said he “cannot recognise concerns over freight trains” which already come through Bedford and cause “zero disturbance”.
Cllr Foster said the Conservatives had been presented with a fait accompli.
But Cllr Henry Vann (Lib Dem, De Parys), said he was “flabbergasted” at what he was hearing.
“The Conservatives are putting Wixams station at risk with their flip flopping over their support for Route E,” he said.
But Cllr Foster said: “Please don’t try and say we are backtracking and flip flopping, we’re not.”
Conservative councillors voted for, against and to abstain on Cllr Headley’s motion.
by David Tooley
Local Democracy Reporter
I'm not quite sure what the outrage is on either side is? There will be another chance to input into the consultation, but the main reasons I understood Route E was chosen (serving Bedford Midland and Cambourne) haven't changed, and so I expect that the new consultation will find that if you want to serve both places, Route E remains the right answer.Tories hit out at ‘political’ vote which exposed group’s division on East West Rail route controversy - Bedford Independent
Bedford Council’s Conservative leader slammed the Liberal Democrats for gutter politics over taking a recorded vote on the...www.bedfordindependent.co.uk
Bedford Council’s Conservative leader slammed the Liberal Democrats for gutter politics over taking a recorded vote on the divisive issue of the proposed route of the East West Rail.
At a combative meeting of the council this week the Lib Dems hit back at their opponents, accusing them of “flip flopping” and failing to represent their constituents when the issue was consulted on in 2019.
The Tories are in attack mode over a “lack of consultation” on council support for Route E which will take it through north Beds on its way between Oxford and Cambridge.
Cllr Graeme Coombes, the Conservative leader, admitted he had supported taking the line to the north. The Conservatives support the principle of East West Rail.
He said for his ward, the most important issue is making sure that Wixams gets a station.
“It sums up the gutter level of the Liberal Democrats turning everything into a party political debate. I suggest they all grow up,” he said.
Councillors were discussing their response to a petition from Steve Arnold, of Ravensden, which had gathered nearly 1,600 signatures before Wednesday’s meeting.
Cllr Coombes said it is wrong to say Route E had unanimous support.
Other councillors said the Conservatives have taken part in votes on issues, including the local plan which included support for the railway through Bedford. Cllr Foster pointed out she had not supported the local plan.
Cllr Michael Headley (Lib Dem, Putnoe) said East West Rail will be launching another consultation within weeks and he urged residents to get involved.
He added: “Residents will ask themselves where were these councillors in 2019? Why weren’t them informing them?”
Protestors said they had been believed Route E would not be chosen because of high costs, which had changed.
Read:Further consultation called for as opposition grows to chosen East West Rail route
He said support for Route E was transparent and part of a cross party lobbying effort over 25 years.
He added that southern routes could kill off Wixams station hopes.
For Cllr Coombes Wixams station is number one priority “always, forever and first.”
“I supported route E to stand up for my ward,” he said.
But he claimed Route E would be a “Trojan Horse” to open up development sites on “large swathes” north of Bedford.
Concern was expressed by members of the public at the prospect of more than 20 freight trains using it every day.
Mr Arnold recoiled at the thought of “juggernaut” diesel trains disturbing residents.
But Cllr Ben Foley (Green, Castle) said he “cannot recognise concerns over freight trains” which already come through Bedford and cause “zero disturbance”.
Cllr Foster said the Conservatives had been presented with a fait accompli.
But Cllr Henry Vann (Lib Dem, De Parys), said he was “flabbergasted” at what he was hearing.
“The Conservatives are putting Wixams station at risk with their flip flopping over their support for Route E,” he said.
But Cllr Foster said: “Please don’t try and say we are backtracking and flip flopping, we’re not.”
Conservative councillors voted for, against and to abstain on Cllr Headley’s motion.
by David Tooley
Local Democracy Reporter
Made front line news on all Bedford papers today.
According to one facebook poster one of the consultations was attended by a Folkestone representative. Perhaps there is a freight plan after all.
South Cambridgeshire is a district that includes parishes to the north of Cambridge. Perhaps worth checking your facts before writing your next post. If your view is that anyone opposing a proposal from a railway company must be a NIMBY and therefore beyond the pale, then it is rather difficult to have an open debate on this don't you think?Interested thing I've noted on that petition, the northern route has the support of specifically south Cambridgeshire with no mention of north Cambridgeshire, seems a bit of NIMBYism mentioned above...
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On the rest of your scheme I would imagine EWR have their reasons for why the route they have chosen is the best, "Option E" as you seem to all it shows how they considered many different options before deciding on this one.
I don't see the delay. There will be the usual public enquiry, but there is very significant support for the Ox-Cam Arc, and in particular the housing planned, which cannot be credibly delivered without EWR. It will be delivered in full on or about Route E (which annoys me but I've lost the argument about a northern entrance to Cambridge) and the only question is whether it will electrified throughout from Day 1.Well it seems the most beneficial route in some cases ruins the most beautiful landscapes. The least beneficial route is the cheapest and the route that everyone wants is plain out of sight.
People affected by EWR don't realize that once upon a time where they live was a woodland or a field and now their house is sitting there ruining that once wonderful view. I told a whole bunch of nimbys this and surprisingly I got more support, which was kind of strange. I don't know about the Cambridge end, but on the Bedford end it seems very strange the line would go anywhere near Brickhill. I envisaged the eastern curve on the MML to be passed Oakley. It seems EWR have gotten a bit close to the local housing for comfort. At this moment in time, I foresee a huge delay in EWR east of Bedford as the political will to back track is getting stronger by the day.
On that point, there is a Network Rail report from about 2017 that suggests up to 50 paths a day could be diverted via EWR, IF the north chord at Bletchley was built. I can understand a certain amount of trepidation from those on the route who don't understand that railways work in geological-speed timescales that this might happen rather soon.So many of the arguments against EWR are predicated on the idea that there will be 24/7 freight, which is so obviously untrue (for any reasonable interpretation of "24/7") that I kind of assume that the opposition are simply against it in principle (pure NIMBYism) and so will use any argument, true or not, to support their case.
One thing I can say is, Cambourne didn't even exist 25 years ago. It was just farmland. So if anyone from there says EWR will spoil the view... they should be reminded that their house has spoiled the view for someone else.Well it seems the most beneficial route in some cases ruins the most beautiful landscapes. The least beneficial route is the cheapest and the route that everyone wants is plain out of sight.
People affected by EWR don't realize that once upon a time where they live was a woodland or a field and now their house is sitting there ruining that once wonderful view. I told a whole bunch of nimbys this and surprisingly I got more support, which was kind of strange. I don't know about the Cambridge end, but on the Bedford end it seems very strange the line would go anywhere near Brickhill. I envisaged the eastern curve on the MML to be passed Oakley. It seems EWR have gotten a bit close to the local housing for comfort. At this moment in time, I foresee a huge delay in EWR east of Bedford as the political will to back track is getting stronger by the day.
On that point, there is a Network Rail report from about 2017 that suggests up to 50 paths a day could be diverted via EWR, IF the north chord at Bletchley was built. I can understand a certain amount of trepidation from those on the route who don't understand that railways work in geological-speed timescales that this might happen rather soon.
It won't of course, but that's a difficult argument to make to people watching zoopla with a vengeance (or indeed have moved away from London for peace and quiet).