Getting an integrated Bedford-Cambridge rail link on right lines?

An alternative option or second route for freight and consideration of a proper linking junction at ECML interface, forget station, they exist at St Neots and Sandy already, so people can travel direct by rail to Bedford if the physical junctioning rail links are done. The angle of approach is wrong from the northern current EWRL route option, whereas from Willington following the southern side of the River Great Ouse trajectory you approach north of Station Road, Tempsford and South of Little Barford - a flood plain - from the south easterly direction, for onwards to Cambourne and so forth. A new station is wrong and not needed. We want a railway able to cater for freight and passenger trains. Reversing into and out of Bedford Midland can happen on segregated lines. Please wave it to others and invite them to think again or go for a dual route option - but put a junction, not a station at ECML interface? Just a thought.

If people agree, please write and make and support the suggestion: https://eastwestrail.co.uk/?msclkid=70acdb0aa2c91cb4cb1c8568ada6aa2f&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=_Brand%20-%20EWR&utm_term=east%20west%20rail&utm_content=Generic%20-%20Exact

You can disagree, but have to accept passenger only and ask the question will people from East Beds/Peterborough-St Neots really change at another station and wait with cost for a train to Bedford, than integrated with Thameslink direct to Bedford for example from the East and vice versa?

I received the following from the DfT. It makes little sense to me as anything south of High Field Road Oakley would clash with Clapham surely? Personally, whilst I welcome a new railway it is likely to cater for passenger services not freight. That is disappointing. I thought if it went north of Oakley to somewhere in the Milton Ernest area, you could resurrect the idea of a station to serve the villages of North Beds and as a junction station could do north-south and east-west. In about 1989 Milton Glebe was mooted - should the idea be refloated? It will be interesting to see the plans and how it will configure. At Tempsford it will have an interchange station with the main line, but will people from East Beds and St Neots want to change trains, taking time and money when buses do both direct? Rather would prefer physical rail links so Stevenage and Peterborough to Bedford were possibilities as well as the Cambridge link. Likewise at Cambridge following a south easterly direction from Cambourne it is a 160 degrees curve to join a north-south main line heading towards Cambridge and a 10 mph curve from Cambridge to the single bore tunnel Newmarket line. Working back, it is vital Northampton-Market Harborough reopens for freight via Peterborough and Leicester. If we want to declutter paths on the Midland Main Line, alternative route options need to be revisited. For my money, eastwards of St John's Bedford and to the north of built Blunham to approach Tempsford from the south westerly direction and head off to Cambourne via a north easterly direction with physical rail conenctions for diverse services - passenger and freight. We get one chance at this and unless Thurleigh Airport is to be revisited, a comparative to the old route into Bedford should be explored on practicability, cost, gradient and optiumum usage/usefulness.

Bottom line is a railway is better than none, but it won't be all singing and dancing unless these things are thought through. richard.erta@gmail.com