Milton Keynes has many attributes to it and as the East-West Rail scheme progresses linking Oxford/Aylesbury to Milton Keynes Central we are reminded of capacity issues and that of accommodation of more trains. These, of course, are not the only ones vieing for more access to platform interfaces at the main station:
1. Bedford-Bletchley extension - £20 million spent to enable reversal out of Platform 5 and yet nil delivery over many years.
2. West London Trains, only 1 per hour, heavily used for contra and other commuting and ideally could double to 2 per hour.
3. Existing services between London and the North as well as local services
4. Freight by rail, in these days of congested roads, environmental concerns and modal shift nurture, you would have thought this a major consideration in generating new flows and home-grown supply and demand, not just aggregate for roads and buildings, but things like recycling by rail, parcels more by rail and long haul anything within reason.
Question is will all this be able to be done with current station capacity and that between the flyover and MK Central and beyond?
Terminal trains are one thing, but running onto elsewhere is another.
ERTA wants to see a Northampton-Market Harborough rail link restored with select pieces of new build where the former route was compromised. Indeed to this end we believe, if not already, that neighbouring councils should be consulted on anything which would block such a rail reinstatement in the wider interests as this strategic rail link could be taking on A508 and M1 traffic for example in choice terms. It offers Oxford/Aylesbury-Northampton and Leicester/East Midlands to and from synergies and puts MIlton Keynes centre stage. This means a proposed new road link across the old rail route north of Northampton should be called-in and the case, policy and collaborative 'wider interests' taken more into account in keeping a viable rail reopening 'open' going forward.
It has had some studies done out of Harborough District Council and these showed some potential. More are needed and a joint effort required.
On stations, a station north of Wolverton either at Roade or Castlethorpe should be included in such a wider range study, as with growth of housing, the land constraints on MK Central parking capacity and growth of demand for travel to and from, means sharing out to cutting drive time from 12 miles to 5 makes a lot of sense.
The Bedford-Bletchley rail link needs to have semi-fast services and the local shuttle mixed and matched accordingly. I fear that local halts may be culled for speed end-to-end efficiencies and local communities disenfranchised from accessing rail in some cases. Likewise at Bedford, accessing capacity issues of platform interfaces for trains heading north is a bottleneck and needs addressing. The ERTA view is that a line east of Bedford St John's via the old route with deviations and new build further east of Willington offers a better design than a proposed North Bedfordshire route on virgin territory knocking down houses and having to tackle the A1 upgraded Black Cat Roundabout. Speed off the Bedford-Bletchley line to/from Bedford Midland is an issue as is single track working. Those who support Route E North of Bedford, should consider what provision for east-north turning by trains for accessing the Midland Main Line north and vice versa and our route proposal would enable east-west freight by rail to bypass Bedford Midland platform interfaces and declutter the whole theatre 'box'.
Bedford-Northampton could help the arcing corridor of A428, but would not go anywhere near Olney as development has scuppered that proposition. Unless we plan now for a new alignment somewhere north of Olney, in 10 years time, that option too could be lost. That locks in road dependency and a drive culture which is unhealthy. Buses struggle and retaining a healthy bus timetable remains a challenge. The X5 has new double decker buses, but with the withdrawal of the coaches lost toilet provision, cycle carriage and a through seamless journey between Oxford-Milton Keynes-Bedford and Cambridge. Despite being double deckers, these services do not serve any of the principal rail stations apart from Milton Keynes Central. This seems two steps forward, one step back!
Happy to compare notes, but I hope you will bear these things in mind and make representation for the emergent rail network to be supported by neighbouring councils and Government too please.
Join ERTA! https://ertarail.co.uk/become-a-member/
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