A New Chapter for the Marston Vale Line with Vivarail! by Mr Stephen Sleight

ERTA Newsletter Article – May 2018

A New Chapter for the Marston Vale Line with Vivarail!

As many readers will no doubt be aware, the new West Midlands franchise began on 10^th December 2017 and is due to continue until 2026, with provisions in place for further extension under various criteria.

The company name is West Midlands Trains operating under two brands:

·         London Northwestern Railway (LNR, which includes the Marston Vale services)

·         West Midlands Railway.

The franchise will deliver about £1 billion in investment, with the main Marston Vale benefits being the introduction of Class 230 trains and the introduction of Bank Holiday services in 2018 and Sunday services by May 2021.

Vivarail has purchased a number of 230 ‘D-train’ units formerly operated by London Underground on the District Line.

West Midlands Trains are the first Train Operating Company to place an order; this is for 3 x 2 car units for the Marston Line to replace the current 150s and 153s. Units will be stabled and maintained at the Bletchley Train Maintenance Depot by Vivarail. The units will be completely overhauled with just the bodyshell and bogeys remaining from the original. The new trains will come into service in December 2018.

Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership (MVCRP) has been working closely with London Northwestern Railway over the specification. This includes:

·         Forward facing seating, some around full-sized tables

·         Fully accessible toilet

·         Dedicated cycle & buggy space

·         LED lighting

·         Automatic announcements on arrival at each station, which can be customised for local attractions, such as Ridgmont Station Heritage Centre

·         Passenger Information Display system, which can also be customised for local attractions 

·         Map of local attractions

They will initially diesel powered but there is scope to convert to battery operation in future. Further information is available at http://vivarail.co.uk

Stop Press! Special Services for Bedford River Festival – 14^th & 15^th July 2018

MVCRP is delighted to announce that we have special services for the Bedford River Festival again this year!

Highlights include:

• Late evening ‘Fireworks Flyer’ leaving Bedford at 11:10pm on the Saturday night
• Hourly Sunday service

The timetable will be published shortly.

There have been no late evening or Sunday services on the Marston Vale Line since the last Bedford River Festival in July 2016 so it’s important that these trains are as well patronised as possible. Please do travel if you possibly can and spread the word!

MVCRP hopes to have a stand in the Heritage Village (situated in St. Mary’s Gardens) at the Festival. Please pop in and say hello!

Don’t fancy the River Festival? Why not take the opportunity to use the special Sunday service for other great days out on the Marston Vale Line including:

•          Ridgmont Station Heritage Centre – special Sunday opening for the River Festival

•          Forest Centre & Millennium Country Park – a pleasant walk or cycle ride from Millbrook Station.

•          Bletchley Park – 2 for 1 entry for rail passengers

 

For further information on any aspect of MVCRP please visit www.marstonvalecommunityrail.org.uk or contact Stephen Sleight on 01234 832645 or e-mail stephens@bedsrcc.org.uk.

Find us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/marstonvalecrp

Follow us on Twitter! @marstonvalecrp 

Bedford Borough Plan - where's the rail infrastructure?

There is a consultation in the Harpur Centre on the Bedford Local Plan 2035. See www.bedford.gov.uk/localplan2035. Email: planningforthefuture@bedford.gov.uk 
Check those houses at Bromham and relation to a clear access for Cobbler Line trajectory. 
Closing date is 9th June.
Questions via 01234 718300. Things we want is as follows:
a. Station at Oakley north of Lower Farm Road.
b. Retail Park Station on the MVR not MML!
c. East-West Rail sooner than later with Bedford-Sandy being delivered same time as Oxford-Bedford ideally - what are we getting for £10 million allocated?
d. All build results in road saturation and progressive gridlock. Same style houses being rolled out Bedford, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Cambridge... this results in ever more cloning of towns/residential estate areas.
e. Unless there's a more focused and coherent plan for the rail projects a-c by 2035 not after 2035, we will have a short fall of footfall and spend, informing closed shop syndrome and spiraling diminishment of traditional town centres, more out of town pressure to pander to the car. Empty properties abound domestic and commercial and more directives to fill and amend those first before green field expansion should be looked at.
f. Bedford-Northampton should be progressed with East-West not addendum to it/afterthought.
g. Network Rail must be flexible on level crossing and bridge adaptations, Cardington Road Bedford and Bridge Street Northampton need rail accessibility to be retained.
h. Wixams and/or Ampthill should be pursued together or incrementally, both serve differential markets - Wixams declutters commuting into Bedford for rail, Ampthill declutters Flitwick off the M1/A507 and all south of Wixams e.g. Marston Moretaine/A421 development corridor.

Olney Neighbourhood Plan Publicity Consultation

Mackowiak, Marek <Marek.Mackowiak@Milton-keynes.gov.uk>

Today at 16:38

Dear Sir or Madam,

In January, Olney Town Council submitted the final version of its Neighbourhood Plan to Milton Keynes Council. The Plan is now being published in accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Plans (General) Regulations 2012. This is the final stage to make comments on the Plan.

The Plan and its supporting documents are available to view at:

http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning-policy/olney-neighbourhood-plan

Any comments on the Plan at this stage (including those from members of the public and other organisations) will be passed to an independent person to consider when he or she is examining the Plan.  He or she will consider whether the Plan:

-              Meets a number of basic conditions

-              Satisfies the legal requirements for neighbourhood plans, and

-              Identifies an appropriate area for the referendum.

As part of this process, the Examiner will decide if the Plan should proceed to the Referendum stage, which is where local residents will have the opportunity to vote on whether the plan should be made (adopted) and used in the determination of planning applications in the area that it covers.

As this is the final chance to comment before the Plan goes to examination and then on to Referendum, it is important if there are any outstanding concerns you have regarding the Plan, that they are raised now for the Examiner to consider.

Comments should be sent to: Development.Plans@Milton-keynes.gov.uk

by 5pm on Wednesday 8th March 2017.

Kind regards

Marek

Marek Mackowiak

Planning Officer

T: 01908 254573

marek.mackowiak@milton-keynes.gov.uk

http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/planning-policy

Milton Keynes Council | Development Plans| Civic Offices | 1 Saxon Gate East | Central Milton Keynes | MK9 3EJ

ERTA wants the railway rebuilt between Bedford-Olney and Northampton. The original route is blocked at Olney and the Handley Alignment (above red line) shows how those blockages can be overcome and link the old trackbed east and west of Yardley Road and River Great Ouse to the east. We want to ensure that the route option is retained and kept 'open' to allow rebuilding of the railway in a way that best suites engineering. Therefore any ambitions to expand the town of Olney northwards either side of the A509 is a threat unless tailored to protect the green-space railway corridor. If expansion goes ahead, the stupidity of it is that Olney has a major traffic issue. A509 has a lot of continuous traffic trundling through Olney. A bypass has been said to be a death-knell for the town's small businesses but equally many of the cars, vans and lorries do not stop and besides Olney has a lack of parking in relation to those who wish to park and volume to space ratios. Thus a car park with a railway station north of current built Olney could double up as well as improved lanes and paths and crossings for encouraging cycling, walking and public transport options in an integrated manner. The railway would deliver volumes of people contrast roads only which just erodes the otherwise pleasant surroundings. Please help us by responding to the consultation and mentioning the benefits and merits of reopening the railway which should be supported by the Town Council. To discuss further e. erta.9rails@yahoo.co.uk or join ERTA: https://ertarail.com/membership/

Beds on Sunday 22.01.2017 Page 7 Article

Steve Lowe keeps his role as an ad hoc reporter for BoS? Former Labour County Councillor. The reality is that if we had a plan for freight line-born going forward we could say "contaminated soil can be removed by rail when the Bedford-Cambridge line gets rebuilt." 

The Rowing Lake would sever the old trackbed and Sustrans cycle-way. It cannot be bridged due to no island column allowed for a racing and training still water lake. The added on developments are a far cry from earlier days when the lake and it's impact was played down by select supporters. This will be a major traffic generator, more congestion and mayhem on the roads we could do without.

Beds on Sunday 22.01.2017 Page 7 Article

Surely it is time to start putting the rail first and lake second? It and land proposed by Charles Wells for redevelopment is flood plain and I notice the old goods shed and land - which could serve as a western access and car park for Bedford Midland is included in plans to redevelop. 

The path to Kempston gets perennially closed as flood water exceed the path. There are wildlife habitats there currently with rushes and small ponds for spawning, sweep it away with river side development and that habitat is lost and/or compromised. 

Will Charter Walk be restored to the public as a right of way and made up for cycle access too?

I believe that unless Councils and the agency friends they build up start laying down the railway they want, we will not have a route into Bedford by 2030's. 

Just wanted people to be aware, by all means write to Bedford Borough Council, Cauldwell Street, Bedford, MK42 9AP and make you views/ask questions. 

The railway will bring volume footfall and spend, ease parking pressures and make development more sustainable, scupper it's reasonable access via the old St John's and you throw away that potential.

Flying Pigs Need Earthing!

Reflection and appeal: Northampton-Olney-Bedford would enable Northampton-Cambridge and Northampton-Luton Airport direct by rail and Olney too. This would revolutionise public transport in the area as buses could link in with a new Olney rail station. For that to happen, ambitions to extend Olney north on adjacent fields need to be curtailed and attention needs to be given to mop and disinfect the towns bus shelter opposite the dilapidated Bull Hotel stop adjacent to the market. 
It's basics upwards and bread and butter downwards which needs to be looked at not series of rounds of discussions with speculative development in mind. The case for reopening this rail link is beginning to be appreciated at a higher level and grassroots like town councils and their leaders can show some interest and work with us to implement the Handley alignment. 
Then development can be tailored, including more parking for the town as it is a continuous flow of traffic along the A509, a bypass would be the death-knell but a lack of parking and the traffic which does not stop causes considerable aggravation and delay. 
The railway would be a boost to Olney and inform regular flows of footfall and spend, sustaining local businesses and helping relieve congestion. Win, win, is why we need to work together to save the old trackbed and keep the route open for the new, so options are kept open and not have a mindset of development solves problems, it doesn't without sustainable fixed infrastructure link a Northampton-Olney-Bedford rail link would be. 
Join us and help us, help the cause for better public transport. Giving choice and freedom for all ages and pockets.
http://www.northamptonez.co.uk/news/new-infrastructure-on-northamptons-horizon/

Help Save Northampton from a road folly and protect a rail solution corridor

Help Save Northampton from a road folly and protect a rail solution corridor

The great town of Northampton deserves better. Like Bedford, despite growth over many years the town centres suffer from a problem of rising rents and mediocre footfall and spend sufficient to sustain small to medium sized business'. Congestion has informed bypasses get a string of out of town development and the congestion has just proliferated with added issue of land-use and parking conflicts facing every town like ours. 

Given both the A45-M1 clogs up and Victoria Parade clogs up and London Road also clogs up, how will adding more traffic from St James' alleviate the situation? Moreover, that traffic queuing back from the junction lights emitting fumes and noise in a now, largely residential area with thinner walls to what solid brick houses withstood? 

Consider this: A rail link from Northampton-Bedford is not 'pie in the sky' it is within our grasp if we act now. Already this very month we have £110 million for early completion of Oxford-Milton Keynes and Bedford with £10 million from the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) for Bedford-Sandy-Cambridge rebuild/new build project, estimated to be delivered by 2030, some 18 years ahead, may seem a long way off, but in planning and strategic terms within Planning terms cordons of acceptability. Where do we wish Northampton to be in relation to these developments by then? 

Train paths are already at a premium on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) through and south of Rugby to Bletchley. This limits scope on new flows of passenger and freight services the line can take. These constraints affect Northampton going forward. It is therefore in our view, imperative that Northampton keeps it's options open and whereas for Oxford a change of train at Milton Keynes Central may seem reasonable, to go south to come back up to Bedford before setting off East would seem less-than ideal. 

A Northampton-Bedford rail link would enable direct modern, fast seamless train access to Bedford, Luton, Luton Airport Parkway as well as joining for on-wards Eastern bound services for Cambridge, Stansted and beyond and vice-versa - inward flows of footfall and spend to the town centre, sustaining it, minus the traffic and checking the impact of development and growth in a sustainable fashion. 

Already an embryonic consortium was being formed to bring players together to advance the Northampton-Bedford interest and this piecemeal road link puts a block on the reopening when so much potential benefit is at stake for Northampton. The University will be a major traffic generator, it could have a station for it's students and cohortic intakes, plan-train-campus, no-nonsense, just one change, one train, one ticket and door to door seamless interfaces. All that is put at stake by this road which severs the railway corridor, is the cost really worth it? 

May I ask you to think again and invest in studying the credentials of what's in it for Northampton if you put the railway idea first? You have nothing to lose at such a critical juncture or face a concoction of congestion locked-in and unsustainability for many years to come, compounding all the old niggles which the Chronicle portrays every week locked in.

Please support and work with us for nurturing this rail link and help Northampton have more options. If you want to be kept informed more please let me know. But this road link is bad for Northampton's well being and should be put on hold pending further research of what the rail link may offer please. Thank you. 

Contact erta.rails6@yahoo.co.uk if you wish to support more and get involved.