Update 28-05-25:
Our web page on East-West Rail has been remade to make accessing it simpler. Please have a perusal and feel free to share it with others: https://brtarail.com/ewrail/ It will serve the Universal Theme Park and still should retain a Stewartby Halt for Kimberley College, even with a slice of 8 million visitors per year to Universal, the local Bedford-Bletchley shuttle still needs all the loyal users it can get and 150 students from the college are useful footfall, likewise as would be a new station on the same line for Kempston Town and the Retail Park.
Public must let elected politicians know and Bedford Borough Council likewise.
Join BRTA and that helps us do more and better potentially. Come to our forth-coming forum - details attached. It is free, open to all and we can compare notes on the exciting potential if we get the rail transport right. Think about it: 2031 we have Universal and Bedford-Oxford services, 2035 or after, potential rails to Cambridge and East Anglia, so 4 years at least until any through rail route from Bedford Midland exists going eastwards. So in any case bays will be needed and that is a window of opportunity I wish politicians grasped and included us more in genuine working together respectively. A growing membership would help indicate votes in it, so please join.
A diversity of rail services is key to managing potential and harnessing it sustainably, rather than following events and being found to be a victim of them. I remind some, the media and political people once said bypasses would rid Bedford of traffic congestion... instead it has grown to fill the spare capacity the bypasses created. Can we learn? Likewise, I'd be very surprised if Eurostar served main line Wixams, but a diversity of services probably will. That means capacity including through Bedford Midland will need to be looked at. Thank you.
Addendum to earlier notice:
In follow up to my earlier email, which should have said 2035 not 2025!, a local media outlet has produced this bridging article and BRTA gets a mention too. Retaining the St John's option and including it in designs and consultations is crucial and Mayor Tom Wootton and the Unitary Council - Transport and Planning brought together, should find means and ways to protect it as much as possible and build coalitions which include BRTA in the loop please:
Stations North of Bedford (Oakley and Sharnbrook) would help reduce A6 traffic, free up parking at Bedford and enable more diverse services with or without EWRL Northern Route.
As said before, interim St John's down to Cardington Road could be made into a twin-track 12 coach train washery rather than infill housing.
Likewise, if Bedford-Cambridge won't be built or ready until 2035, bays at Bedford Midland will be needed before that for Oxford trains and more Bedford-Bletchley longer trains.
You would find conflict with sitting trains on an already capacity station through tracks which other services and freight need e.g. Thameslink and EMR for example.
If not already, Bedford-Bletchley should be made 'Open Access' and a diversity of services and freight made to use it.
Bedford must have an integrated traffic reduction plan now and rail must be a lion's share with station and orbital bus networks linking with each other more, including access from main station to the High Street by bus for more footfall and spending options.
Caption below, looking south on former Bedford-Hitchin remnant lines 1992 - all change now!
I muse on the following to ascertain where we are at and how some seem to be less-than clear or ducking responsibility in planning the railway, services, delivery and integration: East-West Rail Thoughts:
1. 2 options could be tabled, either relocate Kempston Fire Station and duck under the Midland Main Line and a new route sandwiched between the Maintenance Depot and 4 tracks, new bridge over River Great Ouse and abandon routing via St Johns.
2. OR, reroute existing Bedford-Bletchley line under Hitchin Arches of Kempston Road/Cauldwell Street Road Bridge and that of Ampthill Road and onwards with both 1 and 2 sharing new twin tracks and additional platforms at Bedford Midland Station and onwards via Northern Route.
3. Bedford-Bletchley Railway is fully operational now, so why can’t/isn’t vehement advocacy being done by elected leaders for Bedford to be included NOW in an hourly semi-fast (exploiting end-to-end whilst the local shuttle does all stations to feed other lines and places). Instead a 5 year wait whilst the line is gold plated at cost and still no Sunday Services for a Leisure Line?
4. In any case, Bedford-Cambridge even if Northern Route proves ‘robust’, it is about 10 years away, so the key point is interim, baying at Bedford will be needed!
5. That is longer trains and relocation of the booking hall and early retail improvements with other public services and value-for-money services like toilets and buses calling. BRTA stands ready to talk, cooperate, but via St John’s should also be retained for rail purposes like relocating
a 12 coach washery for any trains? Watch this space!If we do not retain St John’s and Northern Route flounders, Cambridge/East Anglia is still cut off from East-West Rail etc. If we build housing on the railway site, we throw away default options that still service the town of Bedford. Bays will be needed interim, Platform 1A is inadequate, so if 2031 is when Bedford/Bedford-Bletchley gets upgraded and a look-in; then action at Bedford Midland is needed now in ANY CASE! A Can’t, won’t and don’t cultures will have no answer, whereas BRTA has, does and probably will!
But bays will be needed, solve that and I suspect legally, East-West Rail bandwagon, could be challenged why one-per-hour Bedford-Oxford cannot be included now, not 2031? Likewise, if baying at Platform 1A is too short, longer are needed now, and by 2031 as in all probability the Northern Route will not be available before 2035 - by which time we also need, quite separately, new Parkway Stations akin to 'now' Wixams by 2035 too. The via St John's route is available, challenge needed to ORR for special dispensation for a few level crossing (automatic ones) and/or a bridge over railway at both Cardington Road and Bypass Raised (A421) for the railway to proceed.
We need leadership, openness and enquiring journalism now please. Thank you.
Our next BRTA Bedford forum details are as follows:
BRTA Bedford Area Forum
Wednesday 11th June 2025
1pm-4pm All welcome
Venue: The Library Room, Bedford Quaker Meeting House, 5 Lansdowne Road, Bedford, MK40 2BY
Venue Website: www.llquakers.org.uk/bedford
Free Admission Email richard.brta@gmail.com and join our free email loop for updates. Bring cash to peruse our stall, donate or join! Together we are stronger!
Join the discussion around local transport and public transport issues around Bedford Borough with us. Topics include: Support for East-West Rail (get the route right!), Stations North of Bedford (Oakley and Sharnbrook), a new station on the Bedford-Bletchley Railway for the Retail Park Kempston, Universal Theme Park and implications/opportunities and Better Buses. For more information about BRTA, see our website: https://brtarail.com/events/ and for a good read: https://brtarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/
All welcome/free admission and help fill the gaps!
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