13-04-2023 Food for thought, click the link!
Why can't we have a nationwide network of these cycle, footpath, nature corridors alongside all motorways and trunk roads and disallow the use of old railway formations wanted for reopening to be laden with them whilst roads go scott free? https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/23445960.a27-work-complete-cycle-path-built-east-lewes-scheme/ The Bedford-Cambridge rail route (our suggestion of east of Bedford via St John's) is objected to partly due to a Sustrans Cycle route on part of it. But why can't it go alongside A603 and A421 instead Oxford-Cambridge and free-up the corridor for a railway? Just one east-west railway, surely the merits outweigh intransigence on part of the cycle lobby? Even running alongside with a perimeter fence could enable the railway too? Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham also and elsewhere: Matlock-Buxton?
Photos of our meeting:
27-03-2023
I attach our press release following Saturday's packed public meeting tabled by ERTA in Bedford. More substantial 'notes' are available via richard.erta@gmail.com
I would like to place on record our thanks to Mohammad Yasin MP and Mayoral Candidate, Cllr. Tom Wootton for attending and speaking at the meeting.
The press release should be self explanatory, but I am happy to do any interviews or engage as I may.
In sum, the Northern Route has many flaws and issues. The process to which it came out as 'popular' was flawed whereby our route was not even in the contenders. Northern Route E is deeply unpopular with 50 houses possibly to be demolished, steep gradients, tunnelling, avariced cost at £5 billion and less than satisfactory answers to how it lands at Tempsford, how it interfaces with 300 houses on a flood plain and much more.
Contrast ERTA's route, which uses some of the old Bedford-Cambridge route needs to be studied with a 'can do' approach whereby problems are tackled with solution scenarios and lobbying is then done to DfT and ORR to get the special circumstantial dispensation to enable the rail link to be brought back to life for wide benefits as a result. It is my view and that of ERTA generally, that there's no blockages which cannot reasonably be overcome, albeing east of Willington to the Tempsford area, a new construction is required, north of Blunham and Sandy. Likewise, we don't want a grade separated twin platform station with the main line at Tempsford, rather physical linking tracks to the slow lines to bring-in scope from that main line to Bedford and the wider Oxford corridor from south of Peterborough, north of Stevenage including East Bedfordshire and indeed Cambridge and wider East Anglia including passenger and freight by rail a whole lot more.
We call on all tiers of government to work with us and engage positively.
Had a good meeting today in Bedford 25-03-2023.
Both Conservative Candidate for Mayoral Cllr Tom Wootton and Mohammad Yasin MP attended and spoke to an audience of around 40 people. The room was packed to overflowing and many questions and discussion followed. Suffice to say the Northern Route E for east-west rail is very unpopular and whilst our ERTA idea of rails east of Bedford via St John's seems of interest, is not a panacea and needs a study, compare and contrast benefits and over-coming problems approaches and cross-party support, which is critically lacking. ERTA will continue to interject as may be and welcome people to join and write in favour of our agenda. Thank you. All enquiries to richard.erta@gmail.com We thank the media for their helpful pre-coverage: https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/bedford-and-kempston-mp-to-discuss-ewr-and-other-local-rail-issues-at-public-meeting/
Agenda to follow:
We understand that following the Budget announcements, Bedford-Cambridge rail reopening new route will be announced in May 2023... watch this space!
Details of our meeting in Bedford attached. All welcome.
Our ERTA preference in Bedford-Tempsford via rails east of Bedford via St John's area and old trackbed with deviation at Willington and new embankment based building north of Blunham. The current view is north of Bedford via new-build arcing through Ravensden area. Nil passive provision for getting through Black Cat Roundabout expansion and new developments south of St Neots/North of Station Road, Tempsford.
In 5 years time, none of these routes will be recoverable.
That defaults to all existing and new east-west transport land-based movements by roads which are consistently getting upgraded but also ever-more congested. So standing still is no answer to these conundrums. I am pretty sure that if you want full-bodied rail and traffic on the rails north of Bedford, 6-tracking will be required with consequences. I am dubious it will work generally, but even more so if existing twin-track slow lines are used with growth of existing lines plus east-west rail.
Via St John's as far as I know requires no houses to be lost. Yes it is problematic like level crossings at certain locations and / or bridging. Speeds of 100 mph are daft as curvature of existing Bedford-Bletchley would probably mean trains coming off on the curves!
Likewise east of Bedford, I'd settle for 70 mph max and have a railway than gridlocked roads and locked-in pollution affecting public health as is across the regions such may serve? Our leaders seem hapless, sadly, the government is strapped for cash but finds it when it wants?
I'm always open to explore and discuss, we are not the impediment, rather seeking balance and rail-based solutions.
The two routes should be worked up and studied and put before the local public in a consultation and referendum.If we don't, if we just object without a rail-based Plan B, then ultimately a new railway will have to go somewhere and may well end up with Oxford-Bedford and other lines east-west to Cambridge and wider East Anglia?
1997 was the original East-West Rail Study and made the case for a new Oxford-Cambridge route via Bedford and east of St John's. It found after Milton Keynes, Bedford was the second most beneficiary along the whole corridor if the railway was reconstructed. The case was accepted by Government up to 2003/4 and others rallied time and again for the next 10 years. Then a lack of development control and development curtaining off the eastern access north of Sandy, led to where we are today.
A statement from East-West Rail and Bedford Borough Council for our meeting next Saturday would be appreciated for me to read out to those who attend. Local elections coming up, post them and Coronation, we need to have the map and plan of where the project is going of Plan A and B.
Meanwhile, sorting the Ely bottleneck and considering a new rail parallel to the A14 (Felixstowe-West Midlands) with links to existing radial north-south main lines may cost £100 billion, but at least the land is majoritively there, 5-10 years won't be. The current Peterborough-Nuneaton corridor is oversubscribed, lacks capacity and Leicester needs relief, not to more roads, but 25, 50 and 75 miles east-west axis radial to London, more east-west rail links if more decluttering, modal shift to rail and cutting emissions on land transport is to be done. People can write to their MP and DfT in support and of course, join/donate to ERTA, as every member and £'s in the kitty, help us towards doing more, and more reliable volunteers enable better too. Please join and help us. Thank you.
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