Get our trains back on the Bedford-Bletchley shuttle service!

12-13-04-2023 Update Press Release:

27-02-2023

Good to have a response from the DfT on Bedford-Bletchley Railway lacking rolling stock following the taking into administration the Vivarail outlet. However, the 20+ year bat and ball last paragraph is but one tension of deferment whereby Local Authorities either don't want to know or say they have no money and government slants funds to roads despite the environmental concerns and on the other hand, LEPs do they actually do anything? They may cost money, produce and trade reports, conferences and court high salaries, but what have they done to reopen local links like the Brackmills Branch in Northampton for example? It has been a slippery slope to lostness. Where is their vision for rail, where is the cutting edge rail reopenings/reinstatements agendas like Colne-Skipton or are they leading on re-railing Devon? No it is lay campaigners doing a lion's share and both Government and Government Organised, Non Government Organisations (GONGOS) seem non-plused and an array of professionals won't muck in unless there's upwards of £50k on offer or a floatilla of swathes say "no business case" or refuse to support because YOU have produced no business case, which are specialist subjects, courting complicated maths and formulas and disenfranchise the lay public (majority paying out in most cases!) and that conundrum 'system' is why nothing much is happening on local rail reinstatements. Some say "roads are cheaper and easier" without showing evidence, but then begs the question of £27 billion for new roads by Government spend and a mere £500 million for the Rail Reopenings Fund. HS2 does not come into it, it is neither a panacea or cheaper solution coming anywhere soon, rather it is an outlandish exception and arguably elephant in the proverbial 'room'. ERTA wants to a more equitable deal and policy from Government with leadership, direction, system reform and delivery with spades on the ground in mind for local rail projects, reopenings and reinstatements to be brought to the fore. Please write/email to your local MP and give us your support. Thank you.

re: https://railfuture.org.uk/Press-release-16th-February-2023

We are fully behind the bid to restore the local shuttle rail service and hope resolution may be found soon. GWR have acquired some part of Vivarail apparently, so what will come of it is unsure. However, a train is a train at the end of the day and as long as it is reliable, should be much preferred to a bus substitute which gets caught in congestion!

There needs to be a greater discussion, involvement and plan for the shuttle service by rail and re-visit what a new station at the Retail Park Kempston can offer to pep off peak usership benefitting rail and Retail Park. Likewise, a Sunday service and continued exploration of Sunday and Bank Holiday reversal out of Platform 5 to link with MK Central Station (£20 million track works done and nil usage by the trains as 'wrong type' for required acceleration and speed, but also track capacity issues prohibit week day use).

East-West Rail will only call at select few stations, but as the press report says, the shuttle remains a life-line to many smaller outlets and again, speed is not necessarily the only consideration or the main consideration, getting our trains back and a service well maintained, reliable and regular with toilet on board is what matters.

This rail link goes to the heart of public service and why we need them. Everyone has cars these days we are told, but that results in congestion, emissions more and pollution harming public well-being. We need to let the train take the strain more. That means investment and understanding with appreciation of what a public transport service ethos means. If people put their jobs on the line by choosing local rail, it needs to be reliable to bring them home safely. If they can't get to work because of a plethora of reasons, that breaks reliability and people could lose money or even their jobs. Government has a pivotal role to play and must not commodify everything and think 'market is all, unless it is financially profitable, we prune it' when transport is essential for life engagement on a daily basis for many.

Addendum article: https://news.gwr.com/news/fast-charging-battery-trial-to-resume-after-gwr-agrees-deal-to-purchase-vivarail-assets

https://railfuture.org.uk/Press-release-16th-February-2023

Report available by email 'free' as a pdf via requests to richard.erta@gmail.com

Below, typical jam-packed car park at Retail Park Kempston... ERTA believes a new station on the Bedford-Bletchley Railway adjacent to it with a connecting footbridge would be just the ticket for more and less congestion to boot!

 

ERTA Ampthill-Flitwick Transport Forum Minutes - all welcome to get involved!

30th March 2023

It is with regret that due to a lack of public engagement and support and the adamance and vehemence of the opposition to the station proposal at Ampthill by members of the town council, that we have reluctantly decided to shelve this project until further notice. It need not stop others making the case and post local elections trying again. But the July meeting has been cancelled and unless we get more support in local interest, membership and engagement volunteering (chicken and egg) we have many other projects nationwide requiring our attention, time and limited resources.

Any offers to take an interest, be a team player, join ERTA via:

https://ertarail.co.uk/become-a-member/

Minutes of the ERTA Ampthill-Flitwick Transport Forum ERTA Ampthill-Flitwick Transport Forum, ~Seeking an Ampthill Parkway Station and associated issues. ~ Saturday 11th February 2023 Venue: The Swan Pub, 1 Dunstable Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire, MK45 1HP T: 01525 754777 E: steph@theswanflitwick.co.uk https://www.swaninnflitwick.co.uk/
 
Present: Simon Barber, Brian Brennan, Colin Crawford, David Ferguson and Richard Pill
 
1.      Appointment of a chair for the meeting (must be an ERTA Member): Colin Crawford
2.      Apologies for absence: Cllr Jake Bishop, Mark Bell, Cllr James Gleave, Jodie Irwin of Central Beds Council Strategic Transport Officer and Leonard Lean.
3.      Review of where things are at transport-wise in the Ampthill-Flitwick local areas:
a.      Ampthill Town Council state they are against the station idea and will oppose it.
b.     The meeting was unclear as to what their real objections are and would welcome a crystal clarification and the rationale/reasons behind such a view.
c.      We would welcome them and Central Beds Council to be represented at the meeting with others inc. Centre Parcs.
d.     A study could include objections but also establish the case and balance the two sides.
e.      It was agreed to pioneer the meeting and continue to invite players to it as well as any public interest.
f.       We should and need to have a Zoom facilitator for such meetings as well for small specific discussions as well as wider ‘open to all’ meetings. It would enable a more informed meeting in future feeding into the physical forum.
g.      Colin to contact Cllr Jake Bishop to get a fuller picture, Richard to furnish Colin with his details.
h.     Simon to give Jodie Irwin’s details to Colin to try and follow her up to see what may be common ground.
i. The meeting was reminded of Flitwick’s situation of too much traffic and increasingly so and that the station just happens to be adjacent to Ampthill, but in sum, it covers a scope and spectrum of upwards of 70, 000 population shared with Flitwick (35, 000 a-piece. For example, there’s the immediate growing cluster of Ampthill and Flitwick, then there’s A507 corridor off M1/East Milton Keynes for direct to airports, Eurostar and City (employment) as well as leisure line preferences. Then there’s the Woburn-Wrest Park arc with A507 as heavily used road-way. Then there’s south of Wixams and the Marston Vale wanting a north-south rail portal. Can Flitwick cope with all this, let alone 10 years of solid development and associated 2.5 cars per household averages?
4.      Introduction to the idea of an Ampthill Parkway Railway Station: Known basics.
5.      The way forward:
a.      Appeal to join ERTA and patronise the sales stall
b.     Please help grow the forum and encourage support
c.      Any offers to pursue the courting of funding for a study
d.     Volunteers needed with local knowledge, daily experiences and willing to lobby councillors to give interest and support – town, village councils and Central Beds Unitary Council.
e.      Land use a key element, development pressures abound, so we have a window, but 10 years of dithering it can be lost.
f.       People tend to drive south to commute to London, so Wixams deals with North of Bedford and South Bedford, but Ampthill would alleviate Flitwick and cater for a much wider area between M1 and A6 for example via A507 – a busy corridor.
g.      ERTA needs more people, members, sponsorship and locals sharing the project, buying into it and shouldering some responsibility
h.     Brian Brennan said he wanted to pursue the car park idea. He showed (see appendix 1) a diagram of his land off Fordfield Road. South of which may be developed otherly (houses) feeding traffic into Froghall Road. 
i.        Time is running out, we need someone to spearhead and get to it/inform and grow a team. A designated ERTA Rep for it. Simon to talk to the university, colleges and volunteer bureaus (Bedford, Luton, Milton Keynes for example). There was caution on Bedford Voluntary Bureau as they have not produced much in the way of volunteers for many years for us.
j.        Brian to get some market research done and do his bit to promote the cause and feed into the meeting keen and willing people. He mentioned IPROS MORI and a Mr Mark Bell.
6.      Any Other Business: None except any funding or donations to the ERTA flyer and offers to help distribute are welcome to entertain. Colin to contact Cllr Mark Smith to try and win him over. Richard to furnish him with Mark’s details.
7.      Day, Date, Time and Place of next Meeting – suggest a Saturday in early July. Confirmed as Saturday 15^th July 1pm food, 2pm business – same venue.

Model local station design on the slow lines? https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/council-confirms-wixams-station-is-priority-of-its-rail-strategy-plans/

For pdf minutes, more detail or enquiries or indeed, offers to help and work with us (it is all voluntary) is welcome to entertain via richard.erta@gmail.com T. 01234 330090

Great Central Corridor - Food for thought - support needed please.

Title of Project – can be re-shaped

Title of officership: Project Coordinator

Goal: The re-railing of the former Great Central Corridor from Calvert to Narborough. This a new-build to 21^st Century standards for passenger and freight. This will require new-build rails.

From Leicester going south we need to check:

1.             Check where the old GC used to cross the Leicester-Nuneaton existing lines at Narborough area. Is there enough land to enable a ground level connection or is it developed over?

2.             Is the route of GC free from obstruction to Lutterworth or blocked? If so what blockages/who owns it/name of company/individual.

3.             Is there adjacent land to the blockage which may inform a deviation?

4.             Talk to Lutterworth Town Council/ask for permission to inspect the old station site. Can it be used or is a new station required?

5.             South of Lutterworth is more complicated. Old GC trackbed – it is available? What blocks it and what is missing? Likewise serving Magna Park with rail, a study is needed on best options and then:

6.             You need to court local council support to the IDEA of a rebuilt or new-built railway corridor. They in turn could contact landowners and other developers like Gazeleys (developers of Magna Park) to contribute to a study for a new railway.

7.             Rugby. A study is needed to:

a.              Can an access to existing Rugby West Coast Main Line (WCML) Station be done/is it feasible and within or without what parameters/break down the objections and opportunities.

b.             If coming across WCML by a new GC flyover/bridge and reopening Rugby Central as a second Parkway Station for the town going towards Brackley, Aylesbury and Oxford respectively and vice versa to Rugby.

c.              Orbitals of Rugby: a study is needed for example, south of Lutterworth alongside the M1, serving DIRFT (Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal) and south and west to the former GC corridor more or less. Could such a new link orbit south and east of Rugby built area and serve via a new station Barby and Willoughby areas (growth areas).

8.             Woodford Halse a problem area, needs either compulsory purchase and relocation (extremely unpopular!) or a new alignment (expensive). If it were HS2 they would just plough through, deviate or tunnel! All rail projects are equal, some more than others it seems!

9.             Brackley East – new-build deviation with station along the A43 roundabout area for road-rail connectivity as a Parkway Station with a 10-mile catchment including the town of Brackley which is growing.

10.        South of Brackley East is new build to join with a western curve, the Oxford-Milton Keynes East-West Rail for wider linkages to Oxford, Bristol and Southampton for example. It would also have a new rail direct link to the proposed Milton Keynes-Aylesbury curve (former Claydon Junction knocked out by HS2) for Aylesbury, Old Oak Common (needs new Chiltern served bays) and the proposed through tunnel (new) to link with (proposed) Southern Heathrow Rail Link for direct access (new east curve for Waterloo direction) and west via Woking to Guildford for Portsmouth, Redhill and if we get out way via Horsham/Shoreham to Brighton and Chichester for example/South Coast. These audiences to the GC corridor new-build.

11.        Let me be clear, we’re talking of £billions, say 1 mile of double track is £20 million per mile. It is a major project and goal which requires professional buy-in, adoption and taking all the way as did HS2 to Government adoption, support and third-party funding.

12.        Case studies should examine technicalities, feasibilities, engineering ‘can-do’ and where pinch points arise beit Narborough, Lutterworth, Rugby, Woodford Halse, East Brackley, Claydon area linkages and so forth, to come up with solutions, options and choices.

13.        Once the case is made and the benefits direct and indirect formally appraised and evaluated from local to regional to national in scope, then the position may be more favourable to recovery and can-do. See No. 11 as a key coalition build goal to strive for.

14.        You could break it down to segments like:

a.      Capacity through Leicester (reopen Melton Mowbray-Nottingham direct for example)

b.     Leicester-Narborough

c.      Narborough Junction

d.     Narborough-Lutterworth/Magna-Rugby

e.      Orbitals for Rugby and new routes/alignments

f.       South of Rugby

g.      Brackley East (lollipop rail-head which could, if delivered serve Silverstone and feed connecting buses, helping sustain the public transport choice network more.

h.     Claydon Connectivity

i.        South of Claydon-Grendon and OOC

j.        OOC adequacy, capacity and tunnelling options

k.      Heathrow Southern Rail – getting a broader vision and coalition on board

l.        Guildford

m.   Guildford-Cranleigh area, Horsham and direct line to Shoreham for South Coast east and west.

n.     Reading-Brighton arc.

15.        It needs a lead-volunteer and a team of volunteers coordinated working together. They need to be people committed to able-bodied action, who say what they do and do what they say in a timely manner.

All offers via richard.erta@gmail.com or Kuljit Maan kuljitmaan74@gmail.com

16.         If we don’t act now, development is blinkered beyond own balance lines and councils complicit in such blinkeredness, it like other options will be lost within 5-10 years beyond recovery. Even now it is an 11^th hour. Be clear, this is a new railway to 21^st C designs for freight and passenger use, capacity and trying to decongest M1 and other roads. Development through these corridors is unsustainable without it, as all associated vehicles – passenger or business, goes by road as a norm, compounding an environmental problem of some magnitude nationwide and as of model, completely the wrong way.

“And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible. We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.  “

Secretary-General's remarks to High-Level opening of COP27, 07 November 2022.

Ref: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2022-11-07/secretary-generals-remarks-high-level-opening-of-cop27

There are many climate change deniers, maybe not vocally, but quasi-religious ignorance, rooted in beliefs or indeed, unbelief (!) and many who dissent from denialism, find they are locked into a system which favours roads, traffic and congestion.

The closures of most local railways including the Great Central happened best part of 60 years ago, decades of abandonment, neglect, other agendas, uses and entrenched lifestyle otherliness/indifference and so salvage what you may, but see opportunity for new creation and also pragmatic what gives, what takes is ‘it’ in a new rail term.

17.         A new railway presents new on and off the rail’s opportunities.

a.      Footfall and spend/new flows of business, income and employment direct/indirect and associated supply chains

b.     Cleaner traffic reduction context of life and purpose

c.      More freight by rail, less congestion, less accidents, quicker end-to-end timings

d.     Could design, if national goals wanted Piggyback and roll-on, roll-off facilitations e.g., Lutterworth-West London (Lutterworth area is where M1, A14 and M6 meet but has no rail whatsoever!).

e.      More seats as ‘not via London or Birmingham’ for North-West-South-West rail-based travel shaves time and cost and frees up other tracks and main place stations for other growth and business.

f.       Cleaner air, less litter and more opportunities for creating wildlife habitats/ecology as well as saving land for farming, conservation, housing and employment sustainably.

18.        See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transport-business-case/transport-business-case-guidance Gov.UK        Department for Transport

If you have the time and tenacity to wade through all the bits, pieces and giblets of all the considerations, caveats and minutiae here, we’d welcome your kind offer of help with open arms! There’s always the kybosh that Government Elected/treasury turns round and says “great idea but no money” and so having a strong coalition of support at all levels and third-party funding like developers sponsoring costs, contributing and professional leadership is crucial to court and maintain all the way along the corridor as well as trying to court and reach out to NIMBYs – there always will be – and win over where can do/invite helpers to find alternatives without bumping into other vested interests. Good luck, as in this game, it is exactly imprecise and un-guaranteed to win or find fortune, but in the scheme of things, every reason to bother. Again, ability to build teams of people and assign to reliable people chunks to focus on and then round-table to measure progress, identify challenges and prioritise are skills which come from know-how, but experience can also be telling.

R. B. Pill, ERTA Secretary 13-02-2023

Speaker will be announced at the Market Harborough meeting + a mini book stall with back nos of magazines and booklets to do with transport.

All enquiries and offers via richard.erta@gmail.com / T. 01234 330090

 

Support our meeting and calls for Bedford Transport Deal

I attach our latest flyer going out over coming weeks. Bedford is not alone in facing a situation of closed lines long ago, new roads and bypasses and having allowed blockages to former rail routes, is as congested as ever. This, on a wider and bigger scale and with development going on all the time, without a rail alternative, will only be compounded. These patterns are unsustainable and we need the rail net-work effect back or 'new-built' to ensure a check and balance of development which otherwise is unsustainable.

However, Bedford has the gift of being a game-changer and lead place whereby if we get East-West Rail right, we have much to gain on and off the rails. 

ERTA's view is to go east of Bedford via St John's and lobby for what is needed to enable that as cost-effective as possible. No route is a panacea, 60 years of abandonment and neglect, decades of other agendas and intelligent opposition whereby elements are pro-actively integrating the route to other uses and optimising and upping the awareness of noise, intrusion and compensation objectors will get were a rail reconstructed. 

However, the truth is trees are unlikely to object, noise can be mitigated with noise barriers, cycleways can be redirected alongside (yes with additional cycle-pedestrian bridges) and so an accommodation could be had. No houses via the old route and our new-route to Tempsford would be demolished in the Bedford urban cordon and in Willington, as long as speed is not the main concern, a deviation could be done, but even if it ploughed through the old route, relocation of a bird garden and reclaiming extended back gardens could be negotiated for the greater good. This is what is needed nationwide on other similar schemes like Guildford-Horsham for example and York-Beverley too. 

Please give us your support. You may note there is a public meeting we are tabling with the local Bedford MP Mohammad Yasin to talk on East-West Rail. This is welcome and we welcome people to come along and listen to what he has to say. Northern Route E has loads of problems. Why is it taking so long for the design specification to be published, consulted on and the Public Inquiry thereafter with decision made? Why can't our suggested route be worked up and compared and contrasted with Northern Route E and the public enabled to choose/given choice? It is not rocket science, but Government/DfT and East-West Rail and Councils need to be challenged to put up or face consequences for causing too many false dawns.

Meanwhile, there are other things which can be getting on with. Wixams Station good, but whilst we welcome retention of Kempston Hardwick and development to inform more usage of it, as per other local stations on the Bedford-Bletchley Railway - as and when it gets rolling stock to resume the local shuttle train service - 100+ extra users per day would result from having a station at the Kempston Retail Park on it as well. East-West Rail the semi fasts, the shuttle all stations. We need both and a footbridge enabling walking and more cycling to the Retail Park is just the ticket for Kempston residents as well. Please give us your support and write to our local council https://www.bedford.gov.uk/ and our local MP https://mohammadyasin.org/ and give our ideas a call for support and further entertainment. Thank you.

Planning Application WNN/2023/0027 - Valid From 05/01/2023 Land For Redevelopment Ransome Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire Residential development of 217no dwellings, landscaping and open space with associated infrastructure and works

21-02-2023

re: https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/people/residents-criticise-plans-to-build-217-homes-in-traffic-nightmare-northampton-street-without-a-new-access-road-4034638

The reason why I had a sense of urgency is because the railway corridor needs protecting and the best way to do that is to provide leadership pro-affirma with a steady rail proposal. I fear now that the new development whilst not on the old railway route, will none-the-less have impinging consequences beit transport access roads, objections to rail because of noise or other blight. We had a couple of years, locals have not stepped up to the plate and this is the result. Offence could come from 2 directions, saying too much, or saying too little. I took the first of these given a time-frame of necessary 'get organised' but it appears to have back-fired in some quarters. Northampton seems an opportune place for radial rails to be restored, 200, 000+ people, most freight apart from off the M1 comes from the east, guess what? No rails to the east. Andrew Lewer MP talks a great talk on East-West Rail, yet is sceptical of the 'business case' for a rail link to it eastwards from Northampton! Still not too late to make representation on the rail imperative, but I fear the status quo with more congestion is the locked-in result of indifference or cynical hostility. Housing stats quotas being tick boxed wherever one can get away with it, is not sustainable development, considering the role rail-based solutions can play is. 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-citys-air-polluted-residents-29201042

Just like cup and saucer, we need a balance of both and yet on the rail, media and others are silent, as if it was of no consideration. Meanwhile, the lack of a Government incentive to re-rail and more funding to secure it as an option, deters all but the most fool-hardy. This despite £27 billion for new road schemes contrast a mere £500 million for the Rail Reopenings Fund. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/27billion-roads-investment-to-support-64000-jobs 

Preamble and other 'concerns' if we do not re-rail! 

ERTA wants adjacent development to old corridors tailored and landscaped to mitigate against NIMBY objections to noise and intrusion in the event of a local rail link to Brackmills or Bedford or indeed, going north to Market Harborough.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-citys-air-polluted-residents-29201042?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Puts Northampton top of a league for pollution with many other places trailing behind, but without restored rail links, development is unsustainable, throws all transport to the roads and pollution, wasted time and fuel/costs is the result. We need to have traffic reduction plans and measures and get on with it. Rail must be a central feature to such a care and plan.

Sitting back and doing 'business as usual' should not be an option, because it is irresponsible and does not consider impacts on others.

ERTA cares about people and places and wants support for restoring local rail links on a nationwide plan basis. Please join and help us do and bring that closer to being a reality.

I attach more details for those who wish to write in favour of rail and call for the development at Ransome Road to have design features which cater for a 25 KV electrified railway at some point.  We're not against housing, we're not NIMBYs but we need a balance with better public transport for people and goods. 

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/politics/plans-unveiled-to-build-217-desperately-needed-new-northampton-homes-on-wasteland-the-size-of-16-football-pitches-3984443 and

https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/ 

We need to keep rail options 'open' and ensure planning is balanced and sustainable.

Case Officer Details - please write and object notwithstanding the rail consideration and adequate clearances/noise barriers for event of railway being fully considered in design.

https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Elected Representatives,

re: http://planning.northamptonboroughcouncil.com/planning/search-applications?civica.query.FullTextSearch=WNN%2F2023%2F0027#VIEW?RefType=PBDC&KeyNo=116525

Planning Application WNN/2023/0027 - Valid From 05/01/2023

Land For Redevelopment Ransome Road, -, Northampton, Northamptonshire

Residential development of 217no dwellings, landscaping and open space with associated infrastructure and works.

We all know that there is a push and demand for more housing x nationwide. 

However, thanks to the post-war restrictions and cuts of the 1960's, the closures of local rail lines (purportedly on a basis of inadequate demand) preceded London overspill and new town development which increased potential demand but all of which has had to go by road, fuelling more road building 'demand' and successive governments have failed to restore, protect and reopen local rail links for a more equitable transport and environmental balance, namely sustainable development and outcomes.

This housing application may not physically impinge on the exact course of old railway east of Northampton, but in an urban cordon, with Delapre Abbey grounds one side and Waterside University Campus the other, surely these modern houses won't want a double track standard gauge railway with passenger and freight accelerating lion's share of the day or night causing noise and vibrations? These residents would surely object to a railway intrusion?

Therefore, if we want any rail links east of Northampton Castle Railway Station, we need to protect a green corridor either side of the railway corridor as a buffer zone to deter objections? The old Northampton-Wellingborough/Peterborough Railway and Bedford-Northampton shared tracks into Northampton Bridge Street Station and so this corridor, if compromised, knocks out the two possible rail options.

ERTA, following on from its predecessor name 'BRTA', supported a Bedford-Northampton Rail Link as a Thameslink and freight artery. That was supported by the Government along with Bedford-Cambridge via Bedford St Johns until 2004. Since then the land at Olney has been compromised severely prohibiting recovery of the old route and a new one needs studying whereby scouting to the north of Olney (greater or lesser) instead of at Turvey the railway crossed the A428 and went south and west, a new build may have to come off earlier going west, turn north and head west and match up via the Castle Ashby Estate (cut or tunnel) to link with the old trackbed west of former Piddington. It is not an exact science, all sorts of protracted negotiations from land to design, engineering and landscaping would need to be done, but the idea can be done and is sound. At Bedford the current East-West Rail Northern Route E would preclude a flyover from the slow lines to veer to Northampton West, whereas the route the East-West Consortium supported 'east of Bedford via St John's' would enable the Northampton arm (see diagram).

On Northampton-Wellingborough, it seems more impractical, as:

a. how would you cross the old Bedford Road and/or bridge or tunnel into a flood plain if it were routed east of Brackmills Industrial Estate?

b. on-coming facing points are a no, no and the fast lines are on the western side of the Midland Main Line (MML), how would you get to the slow lines?

c. the old route is obliterated at Wellingborough and the curvature east of MML is too tight without demolitions to come up facing north onto the east-side slow lines. 

d. If you wanted to have a curve to the south, River Nene basin to Irchester Parkway Station (proposed) is a massive gradient and again you need lands to go under the MML fast-lines to link to the slow lines before heading into the Wymington loop and tunnel? 

h. I fear LRT/HS2 desktop software is all well and good for the design applications they require, conventional rail links are a different country altogether and nothing beats field observations and experience to ascertain whether an idea fits or not.

In sum, Bedford has much to commend itself and should not be written off. The councils need to talk together and come to a view of progressive, incremental working and tailoring development to foster these rail links, not lock-out only to lock-in more gridlock congestion, pollution, emissions and goods going no-where fast.

Please object to these developments pending a consideration of the rail potential and impact of a railway being driven through the cordon or adjacent to it. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

ERTA Secretary

Typical scene along the Bedford Road, Northampton - reopening local rail links would reduce such scenarios and wasted time! Please join our email loop now via richard.erta@gmail.com