East West Rail and campaigners clash over claim new stations between Bedford and Bletchley depend on housing development cash

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East West Rail (EWR) has rejected claims by campaigners that it “let slip” new stations between Bletchley and Bedford cannot be realised without private finance.

According to campaign group Stop the Arc (STARC), the info was revealed by railway staff during an EWR Parish Council Technical Workshop.

Charles Pither, STARC chair, said: "Leaking this fundamentally important aspect of financing East West Rail, at this late stage, more than three years after first proposing the new stations, raises more questions about EWR than it answers. And the biggest question of all now is, how much can EWR be trusted?"

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But EWR told Bedford Todaytalk of letting anything slip was way off the mark as all details of its updated proposals are freely available on its website – and that any new station configuration would be subject to affordability criteria with the potential of third-party funding.

East West Rail and campaign group Stop the Arc have clashed over claims any new stations between Bedford and Bletchley depend on housing development cash (Picture: Pixabay)East West Rail and campaign group Stop the Arc have clashed over claims any new stations between Bedford and Bletchley depend on housing development cash (Picture: Pixabay)
East West Rail and campaign group Stop the Arc have clashed over claims any new stations between Bedford and Bletchley depend on housing development cash (Picture: Pixabay)

EWR has outlined two main options for rail services between Bletchley and Bedford. One maintains the existing nine stations. The alternative proposes just four new consolidated stations – at Woburn Sands, Ridgmont, Lidlington and Stewartby. Three East West Rail trains would service these four stations every hour. Two of these would run between Oxford and Cambridge, whilst the third would run between Bletchley and Cambridge.

These options do not affect the new station at Wixams.

Residents are being asked to express their preferences for station plans in a consultation process which ends on January 24.

Nick Burton of STARC said: "As part of its latest consultation process, EWR have warned residents against leaving the current nine stations in place, and have heavily sold their plan for four new consolidated stations. EWR has admitted the new consolidated stations plan will be more expensive, implying a generous willingness to invest. Only now has it emerged that the plans depend on funding from housing developers."

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William Harrold of the Cambridge Approaches think-tank said: "It's impossible to know whether EWR have always secretly known their plans needed private money, or whether they've now suddenly decided private finance is necessary to reduce the massively inflated demands their project is placing on the public coffers.

"Whichever is the case, one has to ask: with most of the consultation period now behind us, would the consultation responses be the same, if residents had known the true facts?"

Residents of campaign groups such as BFARe, Bedford Poets and Cambridge Approaches plan to ask EWR if other new stations on the line between Bedford and Cambridge, including the relocated Bedford St John’s interchange, will also depend on developer funding.

But an EWR spokesperson said: “Since the launch of the consultation in November, all details on our updated proposals have been freely available on our website with our Consultation Document providing a broad summary of our proposals and our Technical Report providing more detailed information.

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"While not solely reliant on developer funding, our Technical Report states that final station configurations on the Marston Vale Line are subject to affordability criteria and acknowledges potential consideration of third-party funding opportunities. Sourcing potential additional revenue from third parties is a very common feature during the planning process for large-scale public sector developments and infrastructure projects and will help us to deliver the best possible outcomes in terms of functionality and accessibility for communities.

“Like in other areas of the route, councils along the Marston Vale Line already have plans for additional housing as part of their local plans, which are independent of our proposals. Detailed funding allocations for our proposals will only be finalised once the DCO process is completed and the necessary consents to build the railway are secured. It should be noted that in the Autumn Budget last year the Government committed to funding and delivering the full route of EWR.

“We strongly encourage as many people as possible to take part in this consultation process, as public feedback is essential to shaping the final design for the Marston Vale Line and East West Rail."

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