Network News Central Section moves towards route options

TWO preferred corridor options SteveS Broadbent desk-based evaluation, each with fi t? And which of those would give areas of (largely high-quality) work. journey pairs would favour a brand The Development Process have been identifi ed as offering the same variant within it. best value for money?” Recent work has also studied the new line across Hertfordshire to the the best value for money for the Contributing Writer Principal Strategic NR Lead Programme effect that train services running south of Luton and Stevenage. This Central Section of the East West [email protected] Planner Graham Botham told RAIL Development Manager Erica over the Central Section would have route would require 8-9km (5-6 Routeings workshop (Aug 2014) Rail project. that the Atkins report and other Blamire explained how the original on interconnecting lines, such as the miles) of tunnel, and would add The options are: Corridor of the 1960s have made the task inputs from the East West Rail large number of corridors was East Coast and Midland Main Lines to the - (and reviewed x20 corridors 1 - Bedford (Central or South)- of re-forging the link between the Consortium (EWRC) “have really refi ned to seven and now to just (ECML, MML). For example, do they beyond at both ends) journey time. Sandy-Cambridge; and Corridor 2 - two university cities particularly helped us identify the value of two: “Criteria such as economic have the capacity for such potential As the focus is on which solution rejected x13 based on number of defined criteria Bedford (Central or South)-- challenging. connecting various places, which benefi t and value for money were services, and would infrastructure would provide the best value for Cambridge. When RAIL reviewed the Central was always going to be critical”. determined, along with aspects work be needed? money for the national rail network The East West Rail project, Section last September (RAIL He added: “We have always such as how each corridor aligns The MML is already reckoned as a whole, Botham explains that Current status x7 corridors originally proposed, developed 756), consultant Atkins had just been very conscious not to start with the DfT’s Long-Distance to be fairly full north of Bedford, “this corridor was considered, but and championed by the East West completed a study indicating which drawing lines on maps.” Hence High-Speed Strategy and how while the ECML has well- it isn’t one that has emerged as Rail Consortium and now fully journey pairs would make the best the two corridors that have now they complement the National documented capacity problems. being a best option at the moment, x3 corridors supported by both the Department contribution to economic growth. emerged are (at this stage) just Freight Strategy.” This approach “These aspects were all brought and development has been for Transport and Network Rail, has Subsequent work by Network that - broad corridors with no then allows actual proposed track together. We have been focusing paused”. Heavy rail is probably not x? routes three sections: Rail suggested seven broad inference as to where the track will alignments to be developed in the on what differentiates the various the solution to better links across ■ The Western Section: opening corridors for the new railway eventually go. coming months. corridors - such as topography Hertfordshire. of the fi rst phase from towards Cambridge. The aim was On developing the Central There has also been considerable which would impact on journey Connectivity is also a x1 corridor Parkway to Bicester is planned for then to reduce these to the three Section as part of a strategic rail involvement from the EWRC’s time - as we have reduced the consideration. Blamire added: October 26, while the stretch from best performing, and fi nally down solution, Botham told RAIL: “We various local authorities, particularly options to two,” said Botham. “Where the East West line touches x2-3 routes Oxford to Oxford Parkway should to a single preferred option for the started looking at key origins and in the area of developing how this Self-evidently, all the evaluated another line, what do we do there? follow next spring (RAIL 774, 777). route (RAIL 762). destinations: what are the basic new railway would help unlock corridors have to somehow Do we pass over, or do we have an By the early 2020s, the whole of Seven months on, and Network service concepts, and what would economic growth. connect the EWR Western Section interchange?” Connectivity with x1 route Single Preferred Option this section eastwards to Bedford Rail has bettered its ‘three corridor’ those do in terms of a broad A fundamental change in the with Cambridge, although at this the network adds value, but at a should be open as a 100mph aim. Just two broad corridors now geographic route area or corridor way the railway is regarded has stage no evaluation is made of cost. Again, alternatives can be railway. remain in the continuing, largely along which a line of route would emerged in the past few years, how the services would be catered evaluated using established and Source: East West Rail ■ The Eastern Section: includes the with the Government putting the for at Cambridge. accepted appraisal methods. existing lines from Cambridge to East West Rail Consortium members railway at the centre of its key Given that the abandoned The EWRC members have a loud the largest gauge), Botham pointed Industry Plan that is due to be Ipswich and Norwich. policy of encouraging economic alignment eastwards to Sandy voice when it comes to suggesting out that the rail freight traffi c from published in autumn 2016). ■ The Central Section: linking the ■ The County Councils of ■ The District Councils of growth across the UK. The has been built over in places, the where future rail services should Felixstowe Port will generally route While the Central Section’s Western and Eastern sections, from Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Stevenage, Vale, whole of the Oxford-Cambridge railway geography and natural operate. The DfT will also have via on its way to the capital costs have yet to be the Bedford area to Cambridge. Hertfordshire, Wycombe and Cherwell. corridor offers huge potential for topography around Bedford means a view, while Network Rail will Midlands and the North. established, let alone made public, The entire Oxford to Cambridge and Oxfordshire. ■ The Councils of Central further growth, but this potential that the variant affecting both develop the business cases (at least It could well be that in this they will clearly refl ect the size route was once the well-established ■ The Borough Councils of , and is currently constrained by the options is how the Central Section initially). regard EWR becomes the victim and scope of such a major scheme ‘’. However, building Ipswich, Bedford and Luton. Oxford City. inability of potential employees to will join the Western Section. An Blamire revealed that the next of its own probable success - the once it is defi ned. developments since the closures live near to and travel to potential east-to-north connection with the phase of work will probably look number of passenger trains that A large part of the cost will most MML is surely a necessity, but will at some of the more prominent will be proposed for the route likely come via the DfT’s fi ve-yearly Peterborough King’s Lynn the Central Section route go into candidates for connection. in the coming months may well funding process. However, given Bedford, or skirt it to the south? Cambridge to Manchester and exceed the available capacity. the nation’s economic situation, Whatever route in Bedford is Birmingham are typical of the The next task is to narrow the there will be strong pressure Leicester N EAST COAST eventually proposed, from there possibilities, and many cities outside two possible corridors down to from Government for signifi cant one of the two proposed corridors of the EWRC area will be very keen one, and then to start defi ning contributions from EWRC members MAIN LINE Ipswich goes to Cambridge via Sandy, for new, high-quality rail links to the the line of route, with the overall (and probably from places seeking Cambridge while the other would link the technological powerhouse that is aim to have suffi cient information to benefi t from the new route). Closed Closed existing Cambridge-Hitchin line Cambridge. gathered so as to properly inform These could be from levies on 1968 1968 from somewhere near Hitchin to While EWR as a whole has the the considerations for funding for building developments, ‘Earn Back’ Bedford Sandy Bedford. potential to carry freight trains (the Control Period 6 (the fi ve years funding from generated economic Rugby The Atkins study found that re-engineered line from Oxford to from April 2019, for which the growth, or other means. Botham the most economically benefi cial Bicester has been built to cater for fi rst stage is Network Rail’s Initial explained that by the time of the WEST COAST Closed Claydon Jct Initial Industry Plan: “We will have MAIN LINE 1964 a cost range based on our work, Banbury Milton Rugby Keynes Development Phases & Output and will have demonstrated that Central Closed the choices offer good value for 1966 East West route money.” Closed Hitchin It will be a huge and challenging 1966 London Phase 2a Phase 2b Phase 2c Closed Key project to defi ne and deliver. 1947 Bicester Line open Therefore care is also being taken Quainton Rd Line closed and lifted to ensure that no aspect has been London Activities: Activities: Activities: missed - that there is no skeleton Worcester London New chord Closed Line out of use ■ x7 Corridors ■ x3 Corridors & ? Routes ■ in the cupboard that could cause 1947 x1 Corridor & 2-3 Routes for Chiltern’s Aylesbury Proposed line ■ ■ a serious challenge to the eventual Evergreen 3 Aspirational Service Site visits/Development ■ Site visits/Development Trackbed built on fi ndings. project Specification ■ Stakeholder consultation ■ Stakeholder consultation “We have to be sure our Oxford London Stations ■ Constraint Analysis ■ Option/Risk workshops ■ Option/Risk workshops evidence base justifi es any decision Princes Risborough ■ Infrastructure Scoping ■ Consents ■ that we make as we move through Note: For clarity some Environmental Assessment the process, and we haven’t ■ Cost Estimates & Risks ■ Economic Appraisal ■ London lines/stations are omitted Capability Analysis missed anything,” said Blamire. Bristol ■ ■ Note: Housing occupies part of Stakeholder Consultation Estimate updates ■ Economic Appraisal The picture should be much clearer by this time next year. GREAT WESTERN ■ Economic Appraisal ■ Programme development ■ Didcot trackbed at Sandy and Potton. An Estimate updates But in the meantime, the Central MAIN LINE observatory occupies the trackbed ■ Preferred route option Section’s momentum is certainly R London at Lord’s Bridge, Cambridge. Rail Source: East West growing.

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