CamBedRailRoad pens open letter to East West Rail Company boss
CamBedRailRoad chairman Sebastian Kindersley signing the letter from CBRR to Mr Rob Brighouse, chairman if the East West Railway Company, requesting that CBRR’s suggested route is assessed on an equal footing as the other routes proposed and considered by EWR. Picture: CBRR - Credit: Archant
Thinktank volunteers championing an alternative route to the current East West Rail Link proposal to connect Bedford and Cambridge via land around Sandy, Shepreth and more, have written an open letter to the rail firm boss who will oversee the delivery of the project.
CamBedRailRoad was set up by Sebastian Kindersley and others, who introduced the plan for a ‘northern’ corridor option from Bedford to Cambridge as an alternative to the current ‘C-corridor’ proposal.
The letter to East West Rail Company boss Robert Brighouse requests that their route be evaluated by EWRCo concurrently and in parity with other routes being considered for public consultation.
In it they outline challenges including housing development and say that they are able to demostrate considerable potential for growth at new developments Bedford/Wixams, Barford/St Neots, Cambourne North and Northstowe, and that their route delivers considerably more millions of communuter tickets.
They also address technical delivery and show how their route embodies recommendations set out by the National Infrastructure Commission to the government.
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The letter has been sent to South Cambs MP Heidi Allen and North East Bedfordshire MP Alistair Burt – who have both backed it – as well as planning authorities, Highways England, consultants to EWRCo, Cambridge Chambers of Commerce, councillors and the press.
A CBRR spokesman said: “This is not at all intended to be a hostile letter.
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“Simply that the CBRR route has won widespread support from residents throughout South Cambs district, from constituency MPs along the proposed route, from planning authorities responsible for sustainable housing development, employers concerned with easier commuting than dependence on cars and congested roads. “We want to share with EWRCo what we have learnt by talking to people at all levels, residents, commuters, school children getting to college, councillors, MPs, employers, environmental groups, about the rail route from Bedford to Cambridge and to put forward a holistic route proposal that meets all the recommendations put to government by the National Infrastructure Commission, supported by people who want to use the railway.”
To read the letter in full go to http://www.cambedrailroad.org/fluidcms/files/files/Open-Letter-to-Mr-R-Brighouse.pdf and to view their petition – which has amassed more than 2,000 signatures – go to https://www.change.org/p/secretary-of-state-for-transport-northern-rail-route-should-be-evaluated-equally-alongside-ewr-s-current-proposals-d7bd2f1f-7675-41de-b072-161074cfdeef.
