A new report has set out an economic case for the Varsity Line:
http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/news...ment-east-west-rail-central-section-rail-link
It assumes a journey time of 24 minutes between Cambridge and Bedford and 60 minutes between Cambridge and Oxford. Where do these journey times come from? Previously I've heard 60 minutes between Oxford and Bedford and 100 minutes between Cambridge and Oxford, which seems much more realistic.
http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/news...ment-east-west-rail-central-section-rail-link
New study supports economic case for investment in East West Rail Central Section rail link
The East West Rail Consortium has published a report that shows that extending the East West Rail line from Oxford to Cambridge has real potential. It shows that the delivery of attractive new rail services between key locations could deliver substantial economic benefits and support significant growth in the East West Rail corridor.
The report concludes a study by Atkins Consultants and is the first step towards developing an outline business case for the East West Rail Central Section.
Working closely with the East West Rail Consortium and Department for Transport, Network Rail will now lead the next phase of work which will consider and examine the engineering, operational and planning feasibility and cost of several potential route options.
The aim is to establish a scheme with a robust and convincing business case that can be submitted to Government in 2016 to secure inclusion of the scheme, subject to funding availability, in the 2019-24 investment plans for the rail industry.
It has been a long term aim of the East West Rail Consortium to improve rail connections within the region by re-instating the former Varsity Line between Cambridge and Oxford. This would provide the rail infrastructure for train services to run from East Anglia to Oxfordshire (and beyond) with connections to all national mainline services to the north, west and south of England.
It assumes a journey time of 24 minutes between Cambridge and Bedford and 60 minutes between Cambridge and Oxford. Where do these journey times come from? Previously I've heard 60 minutes between Oxford and Bedford and 100 minutes between Cambridge and Oxford, which seems much more realistic.