Wixams rail station plan '10 to 15 years in the making' is 'gaining momentum', council told

The Wixams train station project is gaining “momentum”, Bedford borough councillors were told during an update.

The Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee was given the update on the train station during Thursday’s (July 20) meeting by the council’s chief officer – highways, transport and engineering, Matthew D’Archambaud.

The committee heard that outline planning was granted in 2013, and full planning was granted in February 2023.

“Which gives us a timeline of how long that the project has been in development,” Mr D’Archambaud said.

“We have been attempting to engage the Department for Transport (DfT), probably since early 2022, to have discussions about really trying to move this project on a pace. We did not get a response from the DfT until May of this year.

“We weren’t asking for any money from the DfT, this is a solely a borough funded project with [section] 106 money and some development funding of our own. But even with our own funding we still needed the agreement from the DfT to put the station into service. We needed DfT approval so frankly the trains would stop there.”

Mr D’Archambaud said the business case was approved on the proviso that the principal delivery model for the station would be through Network Rail. Network Rail is now carrying out its own due diligence on the project, and plans to report back in the autumn.

“I think in the autumn we would be in a much much clearer position as to the cost profile of the project and delivery timeline for the project,” Mr D’Archambaud said. “Obviously it’s been 10 to 15 years in the making, but it certainly feels like there’s a lot more momentum being wrapped into the project now.”