New train station a priority in Bedford strategy and application is 'going well'

A new train station at Wixams is one of four priorities set out by the Bedford Rail Strategy, and its planning application is “going well”.

Jon Shortland, chief officer for planning, infrastructure and economic growth, told the Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Thursday, January 19) that planning applications for the station, the forecourts and car park area have been submitted.

“Those are currently expected to come before the planning committee in February,” he said.

“We’ve applied to Network Rail for something called an approval in principle of our [station] design and with the Department for Transport about the admission of the station onto the railway network,” he said.

Councillor Graeme Coombes (Conservative, Wilshamstead) asked Mr Shortland if there had been any pre-application discussions around the planning application.

“And are you able to say whether you are minded to recommend approval at this stage, or give an indication as to whether it’s likely to be recommended for approval, or whether you see any problems with it?” he asked.

“The application has been submitted by the borough council,” Mr Shortland replied.

“Pre-application discussions did take place and as I understand it the application is going well at the moment.

“I can’t give you a definite answer, but I expect it to go to the committee with the recommendation for approval,” he said.

Moving on to passenger numbers, councillor Coombes said: “I know covid is used as an excuse for more or less everything these days, but it has had a significant impact on passenger numbers.

“Additionally, I think with the strikes that are going on, I think people are getting a little bit cheesed off with rail travel in general and we may see a sort of a shift pattern in terms of people’s behaviours as train passengers.

“Has any thought been given to that, and do you see that impacting on any of the projects that we have,” he asked.

“I’m very conscious that Wixams in particular was based on so many passenger numbers and paying for itself over a length of time by having a significant number of passengers to achieve that,” he added.

Mr Shortland replied: “I think across the board they are at around 80 to 85 per cent of pre-covid levels, and the decline is most evident in the peak.

“However, bearing in mind that the numbers have reduced and are not currently bouncing back, we have done a cost benefit analysis of the scheme based on post-covid traffic levels.

“And we’ve also done a sensitivity test to say, ‘well if things got so bad that the government decided rather than four trains an hour from Bedford to London it was reduced to two,would that still pay for itself?’

“And in all of those cases the benefits cost ratio is still very positive for the Wixams station, so it’s not at a place where we’re saying it’s too low to carry on,” he said.

Source

Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee 19/1/23 via webcast