UK: East West Railway Co began the next round of public consultation for the Oxford – Cambridge railway corridor project on March 31. The consultation covers:
- how Oxford, Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village stations could be improved;
- options for avoiding lengthy delays at London Road level crossing in Bicester;
- how to ensure that local communities get the most from the planned investment in the Bedford - Bletchley line;
- Options for new stations and supporting infrastructure at Bedford and Bedford St Johns;
- five route alignment options between Bedford and Cambridge, including an ‘emerging preference’ for a station at Cambourne North;
- plans for better station design and more timely travel information;
- proposals for a discretionary purchase scheme to support people if the sale of a home or small business may be directly affected by the announcement of a preferred alignment.
‘The consultation is another important milestone towards delivering East West Rail, a project which continues to enjoy strong strategic support from the local authorities’, said Martin Tugwell from the East West Rail Consortium of local authorities on the corridor.
‘We encourage everyone to have their say regarding the consultation proposals in order to help shape the details of the scheme and ensure it meets the needs of the communities it serves. As a consortium we will continue to make the case for delivery of East West Rail in full, including the core section between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes, and to the east of Cambridge on to Norwich and Ipswich.’
