Plans to reinstate railway between Oxford and Cambridge are moving ahead with the launch of a public consultation seeking views on five route options for the Bedford to Cambridge section.
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This link will form the central section of the East West Rail project and is expected to be built by the mid-2020s, reducing travel times in the area and supporting new housing and economic growth.
It will follow completion of the project’s western section which will allow trains to run between Oxford and Bedford – with spurs to Milton Keynes and Aylesbury – from the end of 2023. A proposed eastern section could then involve enhancements on lines towards East Anglia.
Of the five route options on the table for the central section, three run through south Cambridgeshire via Bassingbourn and the other two take a more northerly route via Cambourne.
The consultation also considers locations for a new station at Bedford – as well as options for possible new stations in Cambourne, St Neots, Sandy, Tempsford and Bassingbourn – and looks at how the railway can best interchange with the Midland and East Coast main lines.
Chair of England’s Economic Heartland’s strategic transport forum Dave Hodgson welcomed the consultation and said: “East West Rail is a fundamental part of the infrastructure required to enable economic growth in the Heartland, by transforming the travel choices available for individuals and businesses while achieving net gain for our environment.
“Our communities and partners within England’s Economic Heartland will now want to look in detail at the relative merits of the route options which have been announced, including how they will support delivery of local plans.”
Delivery body the East West Rail Company’s chief executive Simon Blanchflower said: “Bedford, Cambridge and the communities in between need the right kind of infrastructure to support them. We’re hoping that residents will give use feedback on these route options to help us understand more about the priorities of the people this line will serve.”
A spokesman for the National Infrastructure Commission described the consultation as a “vital step towards delivering an East-West Rail service that works for residents and businesses across the Oxford to Cambridge growth arc”.
The consultation runs for six weeks, ending on 11 March.
(Photograph: Matt Buck and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)
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