Dear Letters Editor,
re: Councillors voice objection to six-track East West rail option through Bedford
Bedford local authorities once upon a time used to write saying there was no case for a rail link east of Bedford and the old route had blockages on it.
Now they reject the route (modified) we have suggested and support a Northern Route E which has steep gradients, lengthy, costly and unclear on how it will link, if at all, with the north-south main line in the Tempsford area.
They sold it to the public on the basis of connectivity with Bedford Midland, but by putting all eggs in one proverbial basket, means any passenger services serving Bedford Midland including East-West Rail will compete for routes through the tracks at the station with freight as well.
If our route was supported and entertained, it would enable freight east-west to get through Bedford without recourse to Bedford Midland Station.
Only freight doing an east-north movement would have to share those tracks and with Northern Route E, such an option does not lend itself.
Mayor Dave and the political establishment need to come off their fences and have the decency to round-table with ERTA (English Regional Transport Association) to get our route properly worked up, studied and compared and contrasted with Northern Route E.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) stipulates all new railways must go over or under and rules out new level crossings.
That is chiefly the main setback to our route, but these silly rules need challenging and special dispensations afforded to our route and other reasonable rail reopenings. If they had such a rule for new roads, there would probably be a riot!
In any case, we’ve waited long enough for the fine details of Northern Route E and these should now be put to the public and let the people decide surely? Instead, we have stand-offs and small ‘p’ politics.
It need not be, but Lib Dems and others need to learn the art of compromise. In any case, Bedford only stands to gain, but delay with the curtain of development coming down, means less options year-on-year and some of us have waited a very long time!
Yours sincerely,
Richard Pill
ERTA Secretary and Local Resident
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