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East-West Rail (EWR): Consultation updates [not speculation]
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TheDavibob
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It's also many metres higher north of the town than south. Fits in with Cambourne's 'drive everywhere' mentality (would make even cycling access from most of the town a pain).
I'd hope it's "considered", decided to be daft, and everyone moves on.
I'd hope it's "considered", decided to be daft, and everyone moves on.
I thought East West Rail needed funding from house builders, or the Bedford-Cambridge section won't get built. If a local MP lobbies to pick a more expensive route, you might end up with a lovely plan and no railway.
Robertj21a
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As others have said, isn't it going to be a deliberate move to encourage housing development nearby ?
Royston Posh
Member
Going North of Cambourne will mean crossing the A428 twice (and possibly the newly built section between Caxton Gibbet and St Neots that is just about to start construction). I’m also not sure where it can easily thread through the planned development on Bourne Airfield and Cambourne to get back to the routing to come into Cambridge via the South.
It also changes the elevation profile significantly all of which will add to the cost.
The current plan places that station next to West Cambourne, an extension of 2,350 houses that is just coming out of the ground. There are also submissions in the local plan process to build yet more houses adjacent already consulted routing to the West so there is no shortage of development potential on the cards.
It also changes the elevation profile significantly all of which will add to the cost.
The current plan places that station next to West Cambourne, an extension of 2,350 houses that is just coming out of the ground. There are also submissions in the local plan process to build yet more houses adjacent already consulted routing to the West so there is no shortage of development potential on the cards.
Might make some sense if there was future development planned on the north side of the A428 but as far as I know there isn't.
Why would anyone who currently commutes from Cambourne to Cambridge by car (as many do) switch to the train if they first have to drive to an out of town station on the other side of a dual carriageway?
I suspect the political reason for the suggestion is that it reduces the amount of NIMBY complaints to zero.
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Absolutely zero chance. A northern approach into Cambridge has been rejected multiple times. Reasons include the need to reverse at Cambridge Central to continue to Ipswich and Norwich, a stop at Cambridge South wouldn't be possible, the engineering works around Milton Road would be epic and you would lose the busway. EWR works in addition to the busway not as a replacement for it.
CBlue
Member
Not unless you fancy demolishing the Busway, or part of the Science Park and Cowley Road Industrial Estate. I don't think there's really space to link the Busway alignment with Cambridge North station either - this would also require a level crossing across Milton Road in its current state which must be the second busiest thoroughfare in the city!
fishwomp
Established Member
Hi all - I took another trip around the area today to see how things were progressing at the Western end. I previously posted https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/east-west-rail-progress-and-updates.99892/post-4671452 of the status on July 12th 2020, so let's see what's changed in 4 months! I didn't get as far as Swanbourne this time though.
Just north of Calvert, looking West and with Claydon Jct behind the camera - work is in progress today (a Saturday!). Perhaps this is because the HS2 timeline requires this area to be completed sooner.
From the same overbridge, looking East. HS2 will cross here. Track is still in situ of the run round loop at Claydon Jct.
Still showing the level crossing sign - it's only been 26 or so years since the last train, but the warning sign remains on the road down from Steeple Claydon!
Looking West at Claydon - the embankment has been newly cleared.
At Claydon looking East - the platform has been obliterated - it was still in place on July 12 this year.
Utility work (water) is ongoing at the moment at Claydon - on both sides of the crossing. I know this crossing is set to be replaced by a bridge, but the work appears to be related to this project.
At Verney Junction - a digger is currently destroying both old platforms now. The wall is the outside wall of the old northernmost platform. Other than bricks and a few iron pipes, no mementos to be had of its past.
Looking West at Verney Junction - the track still in place at the crossing.
Finally, looking East, again at Verney Junction. I like the sign for no trespassing on the railway. Is it still a railway when they've ripped up the tracks, your Honour?
Just north of Calvert, looking West and with Claydon Jct behind the camera - work is in progress today (a Saturday!). Perhaps this is because the HS2 timeline requires this area to be completed sooner.
From the same overbridge, looking East. HS2 will cross here. Track is still in situ of the run round loop at Claydon Jct.
Still showing the level crossing sign - it's only been 26 or so years since the last train, but the warning sign remains on the road down from Steeple Claydon!
Looking West at Claydon - the embankment has been newly cleared.
At Claydon looking East - the platform has been obliterated - it was still in place on July 12 this year.
Utility work (water) is ongoing at the moment at Claydon - on both sides of the crossing. I know this crossing is set to be replaced by a bridge, but the work appears to be related to this project.
At Verney Junction - a digger is currently destroying both old platforms now. The wall is the outside wall of the old northernmost platform. Other than bricks and a few iron pipes, no mementos to be had of its past.
Looking West at Verney Junction - the track still in place at the crossing.
Finally, looking East, again at Verney Junction. I like the sign for no trespassing on the railway. Is it still a railway when they've ripped up the tracks, your Honour?
Ploughman
Established Member
I think that some pallet loads of bricks have been recovered for reuse on the railway at Broadway GWSR.
haylesabbeyhalt.blogspot.com
Station 'X' - all is revealed.
Saturday at Station 'X' Seven of us set off a second and last time to 'Station X'. It was our last day to grab as many bricks as we could, b...
haylesabbeyhalt.blogspot.com
Exciting times. Who would have thought that there would once more be lines crossing at Verney Junction (although I understand there are no plans for a station to be resurrected there).
I wonder how many other lines in this country are “not dead, but only sleeping”?
I wonder how many other lines in this country are “not dead, but only sleeping”?
Railwaysceptic
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Verney Junction is only a hamlet. It's not a village; just a few houses. It would be madness to re-open the station.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Winslow (which is being reopened) is genuinely the only one along either part of the line that goes anywhere near a settlement of any considerable size (you've also got Calvert but it's probably a bit small). Leafy Bucks and Oxon are "three Range Rovers" territory, so nobody will walk any distance to the station, they'll get in the car and drive to somewhere with a good service. For London they will probably continue to drive to Aylesbury, Bicester North or Bletchley/MKC as Winslow won't have a direct service there, and for Oxford, if they have a need to go there, they'll probably drive all the way.
An MK West/West Bletchley P&R might make sense but with fast roads it would probably be better done by buses that would cover the whole centre rather than just one end of it. So probably not.
The line is very much about longer distance journeys, really. The X5, which it basically replaces (unless Stagecoach stick around to try and compete) has very few stops at that end of things.
Indeed - it's been a while but IIRR the only X5 stop between MK station and Bicester is Buckingham. Used to be at Tesco on the bypass, but I think it's the town centre now? The only section where it stopped at anything smaller than the obviously significant market towns was Bedford-St Neots, for historic reasons, and in the last couple of months everything east of Bedford has been carved off into a separate stopping service anyway. I strongly suspect what remains will disappear the day EWR opens.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It now does both.
Will be interesting to see if any Buckingham-Bicester service remains at all; someone will probably tender Buckingham-MK hourly if it isn't seen as commercial (it does cross two Council areas but it's had a tendered service before) but Buckingham-Bicester is probably a bit more "on the edge".
swt_passenger
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There won’t “once more be lines crossing” at Verney Junction, will there? I’m not sure what you mean?
Three councils? A non-express service would presumably stop off in Deanshanger and Old Stratford, which are South Northants...
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Crossing the road I think.
swt_passenger
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Ah right, I was thinking some sort of tracks crossing...
Nottingham59
Established Member
Perhaps he meant lines crossing again at Claydon Junction, two miles to the West of Verney.
Is there a case for restoring the line to Buckingham itself?
The Planner
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No provision for it in the E-W plans that I know of. It would have to be a lot quicker to MK to make people change modes.
Peregrine 4903
Established Member
Does anyone have any updates with the current progress of Bletchley flyover. I've been going past it on the train for the past 4 weeks and am wondering when they are planning on bridging the gap over the WCML?
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Probably not, with relatively fast roads to MK (and the choice of two routes if you're not going to stop along the way) a tendered hourly bus service would do the job, as well as being able to take you direct to the east end of CMK where the shops are without changing.
Buckingham certainly benefits from the X5 but doesn't even near-justify it alone, passenger numbers are typically single figures. It's a bit like smaller Merseyrail stations like Aughton Park and Town Green get the full 4tph service because it's just easier, not because they even remotely justify it alone. Or the way the "other X5" up in the Lakes serves a load of tiny villages because it might as well.
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
May I share theses sentiments too. Thanks excellent
The Planner
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They are doing work over Xmas, Easter, both May bank holidays, throughout summer and August bank holiday. E-W haven't slowed down.
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