East-West Rail - getting the Bedford, Blunham, Sandy and Cambridge right

The Trajectory of old railway can be ascertained and Steer Davis Gleave 1997 went north of this 2004 data and was an 'S' on it's sides looping round to south Blunham. If since 2004 data more encroachment has occurred - depending on what it is, whether the feasibility of curves has been compromised is debatable at this stage. Thus the option of Tempsford to Thurleigh/Milton Ernest and through Bedford Midland (serving Bedford) and out via St John's 1984 makes some sense, even though more expensive and not a panacea for avoiding the need to compulsory purchase, deviate and realign and of course the cost. Options which avoid Bedford Midland altogether or involve slewing the Bedford-Bletchley line to Wixams alias Bedford South must be opposed rigorously, it is sheer fantasy to think that Midland Main Line which already has trains waiting south of Kempston Road Bridge for a path into Bedford Midland would welcome more trains, slower trains and varied configured trains adding to the problem of capacity into and out of Bedford Midland Station. Therefore coming into Bedford from the west via St John's 1984 Halt makes sense to keep capacity options open for passenger and freight hopefully. Getting through Bedford Midland will be a challenge on current twin track for everything capacity and remodelling the tracks, platforms and so forth should be looked at, not just a relocated train shed and mere aesthetics which hide a multitude of sins very often! Who will give thought to this, who will take up the baton? We at very least should be loathed to give up railway lands to road development before these matters of layout and access are settled. The consultation earlier this year on routes should have included the old route - to gauge public opinion objectively not sway it to false premises of 'new dawns' which are yet to be worked up to a real route and list of what compulsory purchases and compensation will be required to contrast with the issues of the old route - to make an objective comparison. Yes, Cardington Road, Priory Marina entrance, Willington, Blunham and north of Sandy curvatures need a new assessment, but to discard it currently before the alternative and there can be only one if we are to serve Bedford Midland, must be looked at. ERTA will continue to call for these things to be considered and highlight sailent points. Thanks. Sandy-Bassingbourn-Shepreth hangs on whether you intrude on Wimpole Hall lands and can access the Hitchin-Royston line at Shepreth. Again segregation until Cambridge has benefits in able to take and do more passenger and freight by rail. But principal issues are a need to bypass Potton and Gamlingay to the south perimeter, realign using adjacent lands, raise M11 with under bridge, bridge River Cam and tunnel under Trumpington Meadows/Park and Ride and getting rid of single line on old trackbed Guided Busway. Linking passenger-wise with the new Cambridge South for Addenbrooke's and direct running into Stansted on the one hand, restoring the old Trumpington Junction for access to Cambridge, before or after Long Road Bridges, needs examination. Overloading Shepreth Junction, triple railways on a flat level junction and just 3 tracks is a recipe for chaos, so Mayors of Bedford and Cambridge need to compare notes and help each other get a better deal. It needs over-arcing leadership and debate. Sadly we have bubbles of parochial interest and scoping and media reflects the reporting of that rather than regional and inter-regional aspects and the pros and cons x whosoever is purporting whatever including professionals and Government.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

ERTA Officer.

Media Coverage for Guildford-Horsham Rebuild

ERTA gets media coverage and well deserved. We want to get our message across and encourage and nurture local support upwards. 

Ultimately we need people to:

1. Write to their local MP's c/o House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA and request a rolling programme of local, conventional line reopenings and rebuilds like Guildford-Horsham and for that programme to be normalised: https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

2. Join ERTA - a growing membership shows we represent a body of opinion and gives us more clout where it counts: https://ertarail.com/membership/

3. Contact our coordinator and come to the forums and get involve positively: T. 0208 940 4399, E. simon4barber@gmail.com

Please help us help you. The reopening would enable so much more options for people and communities and underrscore public transport fit for the 21st Century.

https://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/people/campaign-to-reopen-defunct-horsham-to-guildford-rail-line-1-8947668?fbclid=IwAR0a6K36c5PRsg56317_q_AwAmo2dKZ5Yf2tTMHFJKQYMz-zHERi_LyJvm8

Please support the reopening/new build of a March-Spalding local and regional rail link

The old has gone, the new has come... well not quite yet! But the railway, closed approx. 1983 should be considered for rebuilding. This could be done now, if the will and way can be found. It does not mean using every inch of the former railway, some of which has been severely blocked or compromised but the old route could form a basis of a new railway surely with realignments and deviations where blockages now exist? That is an area where a study could look. 

Why reopen? Linking the two distinct towns and also regional links means that this missing rail link corridor would provide handy communications linking key areas with differing needs to mutual benefit.

I attach a basic introductory report I have compiled to explain a bit more and wish to state that our desire is to carry people with us and inform a ground swell of support for the rail link to be restored. Given 4000 more houses going in around the area, the question of 2.5 cars per household - there being little other choice - raises the question of where will that traffic all go? Roads are congestion, parking and land use allocation is at a premium and given these trends have bedded in since the closure over 35 years ago, we need to think where do we wish to be heading 5, 10 or indeed the next 30 years time? Clearly trends cannot go on as they are left to a laissez-fare market solves everything outcome. We plan for housing, can we plan for the consequences which could and should include restored public transport infrastructure as the rail link could inform?

We wish to see fostered a dialogue with local authorities and MP's at all tiers of representation and by agreeing a new railway is a good idea, we agree the principle and if the principle is correct, then to form consortia and pool resources and invest in a robust case making study or studies to make the case and inform a platform to take it to the next stage - the consortium would include rail industry as well - to the Network Rail GRIP processes and Department for Transport/Whitehall backing as a regional and local investment.

Taking Cowbit as an example, if we deviate around the location now, lands need to be protected to keep a railway option open and a new station on the edge of the 'now' town could be provided for local and longer distance commutes in and out. In 10 years time, the current cordon will expand and so deciding the principle of intent for a railway now, means we can plan to include lands for realignment and thus a railway going forward.

Deeping St Nicholas has been called for to have a new station. Whilst the proposed rail depot seems to have gone quiet, the upsurge of freight using current lines would indicate sidings at some location for waitover trains and stabling will be required and the new under pass north of Peterborough at £100 million, preludes growth and a more direct line could save a lot of time and adds to the case for the railway. At the March end, maybe if Whitemoor Prison cannot be amended to make way for a restored railway, you could look at a new spur off the old Wisbech line (another reopening) from which a new link to the Spalding line could be established and share station access together? These finer details need to be examined. 

On Deeping St Nicholas, the point of some rail access there is because the original junction west of built Spalding is blocked with housing, so a new junction to the west an new build accordingly is required. Should be do-able now, but needs planning support for future fostering alongside the effort needed to bring a new railway about. We at ERTA are about planting ideas and helping promote them, we need local councils and MP's to help form consortium to pool resources and help take the project forward. We are not resourced to do it ourselves. We commit to facilitate Forums to help bring people together. We have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ReopenMarch2Spalding/?ref=bookmarks or Twitter @March2Spalding 

I welcome your further kind interest and hope the report indicates the merit of what we are about. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Pill

ERTA Officer

https://ertarail.com/campaigns/  

ERTA Transport and Environment Conference 2019

ERTA Transport and Environment Conference 2019

This was held on Saturday, 27 April from 11am – 4pm at the Campanile Hotel, Milton Keynes and it was attended by 24 people, including the speakers.

The speakers comprised of Stephen Sleight (Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership); Cllr. Vanessa McPake-Milton Keynes Council (East-West Rail, MK buses); Geoff Bushell (Campaign to reopen Ivanhoe Line); Professor James Connelly (Minsters Rail Campaign); Colin Bricher (on Northampton Light Rapid Transit); and our member Leonard Lean on a brief talk ‘Introduction to Electrification’.

Several ERTA members were among the attendees, and apart from Leonard Lean, these comprised Richard Pill (who chaired the event); Tony Bush (in charge of security); Clive Travis; Colin Crawford; David Ferguson and I - both David and I were manning the bookstall.

In my view the most interesting and best speakers were Stephen Sleight and Professor James Connelly.

Stephens’ presentation on the Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership highlighted the importance of local railway stations as part of local communities. Decent stations encourage more people to use trains whilst at the same time members of the community take part in improving and maintaining the station, including pedestrian and cycle access.

James’ presentation on the Minsters Rail Campaign (reopening the railway between York and Beverley) highlighted the fact that this proposal is included in Transport for the North’s Strategic Transport Plan, and that his group had suggested to Transport for the North that connectivity needs of the East Riding towns is a top priority. His group will also draw attention to serious long-term resilience issues affecting the main transport links between York and the East Riding/Hull such as high tides in the Humber estuary. Reopening that line will also bring extra capacity to the heavily-congested York-Beverley main road.

By Mr Simon Barber

Bedford Borough revises 1980's road link idea rather than send traffic around the Bypass!

My own view of the below translation from more homes to where to how is as follows: his claim this will reduce congestion is spurious, it at best will shift it. It is well known more capacity attracts more traffic. It would use railway arches and land to get to and from the Commercial Road Junction and unless demolition will happen creating a large roundabout, could be a problem for buses, large lorries and other long vehicles turning into Preben Street. Council have identified brownfield land for more urban housing with presumably more traffic. It should be directing north - south movements to the bypass and around urban Bedford not encouraginging another High Street flow through residential areas. Again the Mayor puts a hard sell gloss on it, but it won't cut congestion overall and end to end of the road will be more congested in all likelihood. The Borough consigns East-West Rail to existing rail layouts rather than station remodelling and designs, which will restrict access and adds to less than optimum rail access to Bedford, which could provide more alternatives. It strikes me as strange Mayor Dave can find £10 million capital funds towards a Wixams Station and now this road scheme, but cannot do the same for a station on the Bedford-Bletchley line to give access to the Retail Park, which studies have shown would boost and win, win for all? In short it seems ill-thought out or rather pandering to pop motoring interests and developers not necessarily public transport, emissions reduction or greener transport solutions making development more sustainable.

Council bid for Prebend Street relief road funding

Bedford Borough Council has submitted a bid for £15m of government funding to help reduce congestion at the Prebend Street / Midland Road roundabout.

Working with Homes England, the Council have developed the plan since submitting an expression of interest last year, and have now submitted the revised bid.

The new relief road would link the bottom of Ashburnham Road with Commercial Road West, reducing the number of cars queuing along Prebend Street and Midland Road, particularly at rush hour, while also helping to improve air quality in the area.

Mayor of Bedford Borough, Dave Hodgson, said “The Prebend Street Relief Road will be a key measure in cutting congestion. The relief road will improve the day-to-day experience of those who travel through Bedford and reduce the burden on the 5-way roundabout with Midland Road and Ford End Road. It will also bring benefits for Prebend Street and Midland Road with reduced traffic and improved air quality for local residents.”

ENDS

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"We call on the Government to abandon the HS2 Rail project."

Click this link to sign the petition "We call on the Government to abandon the HS2 Rail project." https://petition.parliament.uk/signatures/57041906/verify?token=EBzYNW3JZri3C7pw3Bsa Thanks, The Petitions team UK Government and Parliament

Olney Battle - Support 'flat as a pancake'! Need big business to turn up and demand rail access!

Bedford-Northampton Rail Link: A new railway is needed, but may never serve Olney again!

Everything is in an economy of scale. If a big enough backer/s or consortium decides it wants a new rail link between Bedford/Midland Main Line and Northampton/West Coast Main Line Loop then they will study the lie of the land, decide the best course of action and set about doing it. Thus, the obliterations at Olney including new encroachments at Lavendon Road are poised to offer two solutions either 1. "here's the cheque, move" or 2. bypass Olney. If the railway goes north of the sewage works it will have to clear for juggernauts crossing the A509 at height out of a cutting from the top of a hill. To then go across fields (current status) to swing towards joining the trackbed somewhere east of Clifton Reynes, more like Newton Blossomville has to be pitted with a go north easterly from Castle Ashby lands around Piddington and go north of Lavendon and Turvey to join the old formation west of the Stevington Walk? It is a new 10 mile stretch of railway out of 21.5 miles of reconstructed railway. East-West, if not using the old formation, will be up to 20+ miles of new railway and so this region is to become physically familiar with reconstruction and new construction of local rail and so the model is proven and can be adopted and cascaded elsewhere. The credentials for Bedford-Northampton are long proven, Brighton/Cambridge to Bedford and Northampton to Birmingham and WCML Networks, Bedford-Northampton is the given growth, these trends will exacerbate, so all should be committed to keeping their options open, even Milton Keynes Council and jurisdiction. Alas they seem to have a back door 'treat Bedford-Northampton as development expedient' and chuck every developers whim at blocking it, by default of course, deliberation the jury is out!

Feeds east-west rail and Midland Main Line, relieves north-south rails considerably and cuts cross country saving time and cost, cutting congestion (A14 Inc.) and ensuring good end to end joined up rail alternatives to car culture and drive everywhere with queues for parking price managed ratcheting up everywhere because demand outstrips supply/land use conflict - do we provide housing, employment or parking - a no brainer x 3 options for same spaces often in urban areas or on urban fringes. ERTA calls for people to join and offer to help out. We're into the business of spreading the load, taking responsibility collectively and sharedly and together we increase chances of success and contrast privatised, selfish individualism and arm chair critics pouring cold water, need to reconcile with the problems on the roads, the air pollution killing people and many an accident partly underscored by the stresses and tensions around driving these days. This, when for a small sum, the wear and tear costs saved through rail alternatives could inform a more generous rolling out of a bus and rail pass for off peak travel for under 65's which would ensure more off-peak services are used and more lifestyle greener choices become more readily available. This, especially for lower income brackets for whom a vehicle on the road is a labyrinth of cost and responsibility when they just wish to be more mobile within limited fiscal means. Oddly bus networks are being slashed due to inadequate funding and inability to subsidise them, usage falls are mooted still, but the humbug is £billions are found annually for more and larger roads with pedestrians, cyclists and slower movers being brushed aside at design and actuation of schemes designed for speed rather than inclusion. Join our free email loop: richard.erta@gmail.com or go to our website: https://ertarail.com/ and have a perusal/make a contribution beit membership or a free-will donation. It all helps us help others. Thank you. Bedford-Northampton is not 'dead' it is sleeping and a new dawn awakens beckons with entrepreneurship, leadership, vision and a fresh start.

Development encroachment on the old trackbed and realignment seems the only option but for compulsory purchase.