By rosebell
Linking Oxford and Cambridge, the revised plans for a new railway line received proposal of two new tunnels in a public consultation that East West Railway Company (EWR Co) launched.
The scheduled date for starting the passenger services along the first stage of East West Rail (EWR) between Oxford and Bletchley is 2025,whereas track all laid and line testing under way on this section.
Revised infrastructure and design plans for a new stretch of railway between Bedford and Cambridge, plus essential railway improvement works to upgrade the existing railway between Oxford and Bedford, are the updated proposals.
As a response to public feedback and to decrease the railway’s environmental impact, a cut and cover tunnel beneath the A428 and Bourn Airfield development has been proposed.
Passing through Chapel Hill, near Haslingfield, the other tunnel would avoid having to construct a very large cutting, which would require significant construction works and could affect the flight paths of Barbastelle bats which live in the area.
Following feedback during a previous non-statutory consultation and further technical design work, the plans were updated, while the consultation comes after the government committed to delivering EWR in full in last month’s Budget.
The proposals also include EWR Co’s preference for green traction power in the form of discontinuous electrification with hybrid battery-electric trains; station upgrades; new stations; andAccording to EWR Co CEO David Hughes: “Local authorities and businesses had been calling for the railway for three decades and the revised plans aimed to maximise the benefits of the project. East West Rail will improve people’s everyday lives by creating more job opportunities, easier and quicker ways to get to work and enjoy days out, and more affordable places to live, while crucially boosting economic growth both across the route and the entire country.”
He also added: “Our updated proposals have been influenced by the huge number of conversations we’ve had with local people and businesses, and thousands of responses we have had to our last public consultation. I encourage people to read our updated proposals in this consultation, attend one of the public events across the route and share your views to help us refine our designs further so East West Rail can best serve its local communities.”
Encouraging people to respond to the proposals, Councillor Liz Leffman, chair of England’s Economic Heartland said: “We must ensure the scheme to be delivered is planned, built and operated in a way which leaves the best possible legacy for our communities, businesses, environment and wider transport system.” work to reduce the environmental and construction impacts of the route design.
