Not perhaps an immediate problem, but there has been a fair bit of local concern in Sandy about the possibility that a new interchange station where EWR crosses ECML might imply closure of the existing Sandy railway station, which is in town. The latest in a series of press stories can be found at:
http://www.thecomet.net/news/sandy-...f-implied-possible-out-of-town-move-1-5134136. The story notes that:
Central Bedfordshire Council issued a brief to consultants appearing to imply that Sandy railway station might close despite denying it wants that to happen.
The story as written suggests that one potential routing for EWR takes it south of the existing station. However, a perhaps more likely routing to the north of the town could be used as a pretext or justification for an interchange station at Tempsford which might supplement the existing station, or replace it.
According to the story:
The councils own brief to the consultants issued in December, and seen by the Comet yesterday also seems to propose a possible relocation of Sandy station in a scenario where the East West Rail link goes north of the town. Referring to whether the link will go to the north or south of Sandy, the document says: The southern route is more straightforward in engineering terms but would provide little potential for growth while a northern route would be more expensive to build but would generate major development potential around new interchange stations at Sandy (resited) and (with the Midland Main Line) at Wixams to the south of Bedford.
It adds: The most direct route, taking into account topography, would see a route passing close to Sandy and Central Beds Councils preferred option would be to see the route pass to the north of Sandy with a new station located close to the existing town.
A new station should serve the EWR line and have passenger connections to the East Coast Main Line.
Since a large part of the justification for any new railway would be to permit extensive new housing development along the Oxford Milton Keynes Cambridge arc, the northern route is far more likely to be pursued in what may nominally be a privately-financed new railway. At the same time, I would have thought it more likely that the new station would be additional to, rather than replace, the existing Sandy town station. In any event, Sandy hardly enjoys a sparkling intercity service at the present time. The notion that a station at Wixams might enjoy some or all of the existing fast services stopping at Bedford Midland would, I think, create a great deal more concern and even anger - not least on this forum?
