Wixams-Bedford and beyond via a single non-changing of trains, Thameslink fo example?
2003 and since, there's been growing support for an updated study for a Bedford-Northampton local/regional rail reopening. That would enable Thameslink from Birmingham to Bedford-Wixams and integrate to the wider network and vice versa.
Too much is dominated by East-West Rail getting its act together, it is progressing at a glacial pace.
2031 Oxford-Bedford passenger trains mooted, same time as Universal opens amazingly!
However, Bedford-Bletchley is a properly operating railway now and has spare capacity now. Sunday services, halt lengthening and retention can both be done now. There's no Sunday services on a Leisure Line?! Weekend possessions would be all that is required to get upgrades done, not endless years. Let's not buy into the fallacy that everything hangs on East-West Rail turning up.
Bedford Midland Station needs more track and train capacity now. Bedford Midland needs rejigging so the train shed (booking hall area) looks down Midland Road towards the town centre. Waiting 6 years is too little, too late and so we need the Government to be telling all players to be progressing now and keeping the wheels turning.
Bedford-Northampton needs a study updating from previous but would call at the Wixams main line station as a part of Thameslink. It could also inform more freight by rail as Northampton is a principal logistics centre bereft of radial rail links.
Some 15 miles of new build would be required and avoiding Olney with a Parkway Station further north would need to be factored in and links with Nos. 21 and 41 buses which also need a revamp between Northampton and Bedford with hourly frequency.
Who pays, well there's a cost to not starting to deliver these things now too, mayhem, congestion, parking demand outstripping town supply and rising costs, waste, pollution and eyesore. Upgraded roads produce more brownfield and development, without the rail alternative like Brighton-Bedford-Northampton could offer, traffic will get worse than better.
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Proliferation of the bad news and costs if we do not act now as a nation and world?
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