Rail minister meets with Bedford villagers and MP to see "first-hand the devastation" East-West route would cause

Rail minister, Huw Merriman, met with villagers, campaigners and MP Richard Fuller to see the proposed East West rail route through north east Bedford.

During his two-hour visit, he met with representatives from the villages of Clapham, Ravensden, Renhold, Wilden, Colmworth, Wyboston, Chawston and Colesden, Roxton and Tempsford, Bedford mayor Tom Wootton and campaigners BFARe (Bedford For a Re Consultation).

The group shared their concerns about the chosen route, including the impact on the landscape and environment, the cost of the railway and the way, they say, East West Rail Company (EWR) handled the consultation.

Mr Fuller MP said: “It was very important for the minister to come here and see first-hand the devastation the railway will cause to our north Bedfordshire countryside and to hear directly from elected parish and borough councillors the strength of opposition to the route.

“The minister was also left in no doubt that the way the project had been handled by the East West Rail Company had caused a lack of trust in the project. The recent allegations about the management of HS2 has reduced that further.

“For over a year I have been highlighting the flaws in the underlying rationale for East West Rail, and will continue to push the argument that better, greener alternatives exist to deliver the growth that EWR purports to enable. I am also very pleased that the NAO, the country’s independent guardian of value for money for taxpayers, is launching an investigation into East West Rail following my request for them to examine the project.”

Last month (September), EWR boss Beth West said a majority of Bedford residents support the route.

In a statement to Bedford Today, the CEO said: “East West Rail has the support of over 70% of local residents along with numerous local and national businesses, many of whom wrote to the minister backing the project and welcomed the news of the route proposals in May.”

She added: “I believe the already high level of support for a better, cleaner and more reliable public transport option connecting Bedford with Cambridge is on the rise.

“People I talk to in Bedford tell me they are not happy with the current public transport offering, the isolation of the train stations and the volume of traffic on the roads. They are crying out for greener local transport, which is exactly what EWR will provide. We have ambitious environmental targets and are actively investigating all the options for powering the railway.”