Dear Editors,
On Tuesday (20 June) morning I read Erica’s article ‘East West Rail would be “a great addition to the network” says Independent rail expert’ with some dismay as:
a) you missed a better headline from a few lines in which ‘the expert’ said “people whose homes would be demolished to make way for the railway should receive “at least double” their house value’,
b) many might agree with the article headline but not the chosen, or so-called ‘preferred option’ route alignment, something that the ‘expert’ miserably failed to comment on!
c) comments further into the article from Cambridge Labour MP Daniel Zeichner leave me totally bewildered as his comment ‘get this electrified railway built’ he obviously hasn’t read that EWR plan to use diesel power, also his comment ‘we need housing that is affordable’ makes me wonder which planet he lives on as ‘all housing is affordable if you have the money’ but no housing in that Cambridge area will be cheap as the land-grabbing developers are in business to make a profit, and the larger the better!
d) Daniel Zeichner’s comment about ‘looking at the bigger picture’ to me shows his disregard and disrespect for the existing residents of that part of Cambridgeshire who will probably up-sticks and move north to make way for thousands of experts and genius’s waiting move in!
Otherwise, as usual, a good morning read!
Gordon Johnston
Wyboston
Editor’s response:
We feel it is important to include the opinion of an independent transport expert in our ongoing articles about EWR.
Christian Wolmar is the preeminent expert on railways in the UK, so he seemed the logical choice. As well as a monthly column in RAIL magazine, he has written several books and is regularly called upon to give his expert opinion on TV, radio, online and in newspapers.
He is opposed to HS2.
You can read his full biography on his Wikipedia page here.
Regarding Daniel Zeichner’s comment “get this electrified railway built”, EWR’s chief executive, Beth West, told the Bedford Independent, “I don’t want a diesel railway…we just can’t have it”.
