Update May 2023:
Following the recent announcement that Route E (alignment 1) is the chosen alignment for East West Rail, CPRE Bedfordshire reasserts its concerns about this choice.
East West Rail Route Alignment Announcement – CPRE Bedfordshire (cprebeds.org.uk)
Latest: Parish council Response to EWR consultation
Wrestlingworth & Cockayne Hatley Parish Council
Response to the East West Rail Consultation, March 2019
The following are the responses agreed by the Councillors of Wrestlingworth & Cockayne Hatley Parish Council and submitted via the online feedback form.
Preferred Route Corridor: please provide any comments on the route corridor in which the 5 route options are located.
W&CH Comment: The route corridor should extend north to include the considerable development in the St Ives and Cambourne area that has already been approved. It should recognise the preferred route for the A428 and consider dual routing the railway to minimise environmental impacts of both projects. No consideration is given to linking in to the Cambridge North Station.
Preferred Route options: Main Factors – Importance Ratings : 5 is most important, 1 is least important.
W&CH Ratings :
Economic Growth 4
Delivery of new homes 5
Cost & Affordability 3
Benefits for transport users 5
Environmental impacts 5
Route option A
W&CH Ratings :
Economic Growth 3
Delivery of new homes 2
Cost & Affordability 4
Benefits for transport users 2
Environmental impacts 1
W&CH Route A comments:
This route assumes development at Bassingbourn – this is not currently included in the SCDC Local Plan and is therefore a speculative benefit. Whilst no route can have nil impact on the Environment, this route impacts on a number of key environmentally important sites, the loss of which cannot be mitigated by environmental improvements elsewhere.
Route option B
W&CH Ratings :
Economic Growth 3
Delivery of new homes 4
Cost & Affordability 4
Benefits for transport users 4
Environmental impacts 2
W&CH Route B comments
As this route is serving the Cambourne area consideration should be given to linking to the Cambridge North Station and help elevate the existing transport issues in regard to East West commuting.
Route option C
W&CH Ratings :
Economic Growth 3
Delivery of new homes 2
Cost & Affordability 4
Benefits for transport users 2
Environmental impacts 1
W&CH Route C comments :
Same comments as route A. Also the north/south routing along the East Coast Mainline would have considerable impacts in being accommodated in the already developed Sandy Town area.
Route option D
W&CH Ratings :
Economic Growth 3
Delivery of new homes 2
Cost & Affordability 4
Benefits for transport users 2
Environmental impacts 1
W&CH Route D comments
Same comments as routes A & C
Route option E
W&CH Ratings :
Economic Growth 3
Delivery of new homes 4
Cost & Affordability 3
Benefits for transport users 4
Environmental impacts 2
W&CH Route E comments
Same comment as route B
The route in to Cambridge : Do you agree that EWR Co are right to prioritise route options that approach Cambridge from the south rather than from the north?
W&CH Comment:
Strongly Disagree
The local Cambridge area Councils are promoting development around the Cambridge North Station (CNS) and additional facilities should be considered for this area. Replacing the planned busway with a train and taking the route in to CNS would connect to the existing rail system. Additional tracks parallel to the A14 could connect CNS to the Newmarket line, enabling connectivity to the East Coast, an important freight route.
W&CH General Feedback
There appears to be too much focus just on Cost and Journey Times rather looking at the solution as part of the overall development / infrastructure solution for the East – West Corridor and using the Rail route to support these and help alleviate the existing congestion on the east – west travel routes into Bedford & Cambridge.
Robin Barratt
Chairman, Wrestlingworth & Cockayne Hatley Parish Council.