East West rail - Central section suggestion

[Prestige15]

There have been many talks and threads about it, and many time its been said theres currently no suitable route between Bedford - Cambridge due to the fact the section has been built over such as housins around Sandy, Cambridge Busway etc over the years.

Would it be ideal if there was a new chord built linking Oakham and Stamford and running trains from the West such as Oxford to Peterborough via Bedford and Corby?
Of course, Doing that will add journey times to Cambridge especially compared to Stagecoach's X5 but it could provide decent connections.

I have heard rumours that Cambridge Busway keen to expands its network further and possibly extend its busway from Trumpington via Sandy to Bedford.

 

[Malcolmffc]

Unlikely - the business case for the line is heavily dependent on improving Oxford-Cambridge journey times. As such NR have prioritised the most direct route possible.

 

[edwin_m]

Indeed. The business case report which is probably still on the website somewhere looked at a range of routes including one via Corby and Manton, and determined that a fairly direct route between Bedford and Cambridge had the best business case. Personally I wish they had preferred via Luton and Stevenage, but it seems the extra cost in that hilly area outweighed the extra ridership from hitting two major centres for population and onward connections.

 

[richieb1971]

There have been many talks and threads about it, and many time its been said theres currently no suitable route between Bedford - Cambridge due to the fact the section has been built over such as housins around Sandy, Cambridge Busway etc over the years.

Would it be ideal if there was a new chord built linking Oakham and Stamford and running trains from the West such as Oxford to Peterborough via Bedford and Corby?
Of course, Doing that will add journey times to Cambridge especially compared to Stagecoach's X5 but it could provide decent connections.

I have heard rumours that Cambridge Busway keen to expands its network further and possibly extend its busway from Trumpington via Sandy to Bedford.

Even going the old Hitchin route is better than that. Its faster and half the route is already electrified and installed.

We currently have the railway developers stating they want high speed rail at 100mph running, which has relatively low compromise. Then we have the government which wants everything to be a compromise and even they didn't go the route of Hitchin, or as you say Oakham.

On a personal note I'd like to see a Cross country service from GWR to say Norwich/Ipswich using the Corby line in the interim period between the Western phase completion and the Central phase completion. There is a 10 year+ gap there and Corby will be a 2 platform setup by then. Cross country don't always do "most direct" diagrams. Its about joining dots that otherwise wouldn't be joining.

I'm for the spur off the branch line at Kempston Hardwck heading East towards Sandy, slightly north of the Industrial estate where a new station will be built.

 

[aylesbury]

I just hope that they get on a build the line Bicester to Bletchley start running services and then look at the next section to Cambridge, as to services Oxford to Mk ,Marylebone to MK and fil in trips Oxford to Bedford .Bletchley to Bedford will continue as a separate service.This will keep passengers happy as they cover where the majority want to go .The rest of the route to Cambridge is a difficult problem as housing, industry are all in the way.,Sandy will figure but from there to Cambridge is a difficult solution and dobtless will be the scene of many protests.

 

[Prestige15]

The only thing i could think of they could end up doing is building the line around the housins, busway etc. Basically building a brand new track on part of the section.

 

[adamedwards]

The most likely route is from the existing line near Kempston Hardwork, cross the Milan's with possible north to east curve, cross the ECML between Sandy and Biggleswade at a new Parkway station and the east to Shepreth to meet the line to Cambridge. Four tracking of the line into Cambridge plus station at Addenbrookes. Possible new town at Bassingbourn if the MoD sell up. Shouldn't be too difficult to construct with a nice Ouse bridge as a keynote feature.

 

[richieb1971]

cross the ECML between Sandy and Biggleswade

All official documentation states the Sandy crossover is going to be north of the current Sandy station, situated a few clicks from the industrial estate.

 

[CdBrux]

. Possible new town at Bassingbourn if the MoD sell up. Shouldn't be too difficult to construct with a nice Ouse bridge as a keynote feature.

I too think the Bassingbourn new town is something that can be linked to the new line, indeed maybe that part (to Cambridge) can be built first along with the town and a shuttle service start to at least get some revenue and part of the line built.
As for an Ouse bridge I am sure it would be nice, just one small problem in that the line as you described would not cross the Ouse!