Expected to link existing stations in Bedford and Cambridge with communities in Cambourne and the area north of Sandy, south of St Neots, the Preferred Route Option was chosen following detailed analysis which found that:
- It would deliver the best value for taxpayers, returning the most benefit for every £ spent
- It was the most popular option with people who responded to EWR Co’s 2019 consultation
- It would deliver the best opportunities for supporting and enhancing the environment.
The announcement reveals the detailed potential benefits of the Preferred Route Option for local communities, including:
- A potential brand new station for the growing population at Cambourne
- A potential brand new station in the area north of Sandy, south of St Neots connecting with services to towns including Peterborough and Doncaster and even as far as Edinburgh
- Easy access to Bedford town centre, potentially supporting plans to regenerate the town and enabling connections to communities across the midlands
- Simple access to Cambridge city centre, and connections onto communities across Suffolk and Norfolk
The chosen route would also support local aspirations to develop housing which is more affordable in areas along the route.
Local businesses would benefit from access to suppliers, customers, and talent as more people will be able to afford to live and work in the area.
Simon Blanchflower CBE, Chief Executive of East West Railway Company said: “Of the five route options we consulted on, people were really positive about the one we have chosen. The line would bring people closer to opportunities for jobs and homes and bring friends and family closer together.
There is still a lot of work to be done, including further consultations and engagement with local communities. Today is an important milestone for everyone living and working in the Arc, and for us at the East West Railway Company, marks the beginning of a really exciting new phase.”
As East West Railway Company moves to develop the alignment for the railway and prepares for further consultation, a detailed process of land surveys will begin to gain an understanding of plant and animal species, historical features and geological conditions that could affect the environmental or engineering decisions. Landowners in the area of the Preferred Route Option will be contacted in the coming weeks.
Local communities are invited to meet the team at East West Railway Company at a series of local events to talk about the project and what will happen next. Details of these events will be published in the coming days on www.eastwestrail.co.uk.
Download a more detailed preferred route option map>>>
East-West rail link route welcomed by CBI
Commenting on the news, CBI Regional Director for the East of England Richard Tunnicliffe said: “Today’s news about a recommended route for the East-West rail route is a landmark step in the project. The CBI welcomes the government’s commitment to the East West Rail route between Oxford and Cambridge. This project will help level up the whole East of England linking us up from Reading to Norwich.
“Completing this work is utterly essential to ensure we level up the regions, and businesses in the OxCam Arc welcome the opportunities this line will provide, with access to new skills, widening market access and building on the innovation that makes this region a world leader.
“There is a lot of work left to go but today is a real day for celebration as this vital piece of infrastructure will help unleash the full economic potential of the region.”
Councillors welcome that the environment was key factor in East-West rail route decision
Leading Councillors have welcomed that the environment was a top consideration in deciding the East-West rail route.
Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, made the announcement this morning that route E had been selected for the railway line linking Cambridge and Oxford.
The route via Cambourne was the option South Cambridgeshire District Council said should be chosen when asked during a consultation. Alternatives through the district were via Bassingbourn.
Cllr Aidan Van de Weyer, Deputy Leader and lead Cabinet Member for Strategic Infrastructure at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “We are pleased and relieved that an announcement has finally been made on the route of East West Rail. We are also supportive of the decision to run the new railway from Bedford to Cambridge via Cambourne. We were told that one of the key factors in determining the route was the environmental opportunities that this option offers. Any project of this size has an impact, but overall it will offer huge scope for environmental enhancements, much of which be in South Cambridgeshire.
“The decision on whether this will be an electrified line has not yet been made but we are told that it will be a net zero carbon railway which is exactly what we would want as we move towards being a zero carbon district by 2050.”
Cllr Bridget Smith, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “I have asked East-West Railway Company to work very closely with local councillors and officers, and to fully engage with all of our affected villages from the outset. This is vital so they know exactly what is going on and have every opportunity to input their views into the whole process.”
Commenting on the announcement made on rail routes in the Commons today, Daniel Zeichner MP said:
“I welcome the announcement on the East West rail route via Cambourne. The route presents major opportunities for jobs and housing and will help ease congestion in the city.
“But let’s go further. There is an opportunity to be bold in the midst of a climate emergency and have an electrified line and put it in public hands and run for the benefit of the public from the outset.
“We also don’t need a road too. Indeed ‘England’s Economic Heartland’ has described that as a “20th century solution to a 21st century challenge.”
“There is no logic in building a huge new motorway when we should be promoting public transport use.
“So my message to ministers is scrap the road and make the railway the best it can be.”