East West Rail route news

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Elected Representatives,

Colin Crawford and I had an interesting meeting with Mayor Dave Hodgson and Cllr Michael Headley this morning. Meeting was okay but on the one hand the Borough is only a statutory consultee, the pursuers of the project is the East West Rail Company (EWRC). They have picked the Northern Route serving Bedford Midland and require 6 tracking of the Midland Main Line (MML) to enable their services to pass segregationally through Bedford Midland Rail Station which would need configuration of tracks and platforms – welcome to see exacting map sometime.

Lots of opposition of course and a number of residential dwellings are affected. Our old route idea long held and mooted and indeed was the East West Rail Consortiums (EWRC) until recent years, is objected to on grounds that it goes through ‘green’ areas including the edge or Priory Park. The hypothesis is that it must have been rejected to not be included in the 2019 Consultation for whatever reason/s and so by default, to serve Bedford Midland you have the Northern Route as the landed and considered option (default?). The fact is that 6 tracks through Bedford Midland and north thereof is essential for capacity, as trains current and more in due course on the north-south MML will need more capacity and not welcome other trains taking their paths on existing lines and platform interfaces.

It was felt that our idea of two new bays and in-out operations would ‘rule out connectivity’ and take extra time for end to end journeys and avoiding Bedford more likely. Calling to study old route – even with post 2019 deviations Willington, North Blunham to Tempsford, would delay project which has slipped.

ERTA is not resourced to do our own studies, business cases cost mega bucks and is rightly the arena of the professional who court fees for services.

So in sum, we have lost our battle at this time for the old route via St Johns. Default the Northern Route. However if the opposition defeats the Northern Route, or it proves too expensive or unworkable, then default to still serve Bedford is our old route option unless Borough puts social housing (demand-supply) on the old St Johns site, which it is minded to do blocking it off forever.

I have advocated an east-west rail since 1987 at least and the old line should never of been shut. The opposition at every step has been overwhelming. Now we have a route few want and which is not best, but default arrived at as a political horlicks in my view. But some railway is better than no railway. So we lose the battle, but win the war, but at a cost! I know what I prefer, but no-one is standing with me but for a few brave souls and we are not enough sadly.

So I recommend people write in as individuals and have their say – even to say they support our options rather than the mono option based on an alien science to what we believe to be basic common sense. Green? Shifting sands or soils more like, trade offs – avoid Priory and the Ouse Valley, but church up North Beds. You don’t campaign to be popular, campaigning is rarely popular, but is an essential part of making democracy work and getting things done or not. No expressway for now, but dualling A1/A421-A428 to Caxton Gibbet Cambs is going ahead with remodelling of Black Cat Roundabout. Problems lie ahead both for Bedford and upheaval on and off the rails, and at Tempsford and all in between. We have done our best, but cannot do much more at this time.

Interestingly I learn Martin Tugwell is going to head up Transport for the North, rather than English Economic Heartlands – we wish him well – but whilst change is inevitable, getting our regions re-railed and modal shift options accessible is required north and south, east and west and rather than singular line projects, we need more than one line, lines linking together for joined up networks and connectivity. But if the freight mooted by opponents is hype, there may still be extra workings which require the two extra tracks, if passenger only, is £4.5 billion well spent on a train each way per hour east-west? Devil is in the detail, let’s hope it is worth it, if not, our route is an option now, 10 years time, we are looking at a totally different landscape and then urban light rail (trams) will be more fitting on road space as our railway trackbeds are lost to ribbon development.

On ERTA fronts, we are open to campaigning elsewhere too, but rely on local people to join and get involved if able. Covid means restricted mobility for many of us and with the stroke of Simon putting him out of action, we are struggling and welcome any offers of help and support to take some responsibility both campaign-wise and/or administratively please. When we can do stalls again, we hope to rebuild upwards and outwards, but until then we do our best and ERTA is an ‘association’ and that means we can think of what we may do, rather than rely always on others to perform to our expectations always. Our website is there for people to join and we remain ‘optn to all’. Newsletter should be out in May and our St Paul’s Stalls will commence as soon as we are told they are happening again. Not long we hope!

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

ERTA Chairman.