Cambridge Ahead has responded to the latest consultation on proposals for a new East West Rail connection from Oxford through to Cambridge. The proposals included plans for a new stations at Cambourne, Cambridge East and a new eastern access to Cambridge central station.
Cambridge Ahead welcomes the enhanced rail connectivity that East West Rail will provide, creating a fast and reliable link across the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster, joining up local businesses and researchers with partners in Milton Keynes, Oxford and all points in between.
The new railway will unlock critically needed housing growth at Cambourne as well as at the proposed new town at Tempsford. It will enable people to move quickly across the corridor, reducing the need for car-based travel and improving quality of life and opportunity for people across the region.
Cambridge Ahead particularly welcomes the suggestion that sections of the railway, and stations, could open in advance of the whole project being completed. And strongly supports the proposal for a new eastern access to Cambridge station, opening up development opportunities identified in the draft Local Plan and making train travel more accessible to businesses and residents based in the east of the city and beyond.
We also welcome proposals for Cambridge East station and the new housing and commercial space that will enable.
Cambridge Ahead recognises that the construction and operation of the railway, stations and other assets will create some disruption for businesses and communities along the route. In our consultation response we urged EWR to mitigate the risks of disruption to research and to travel patterns. And to work closely with local authorities to manage that disruption.
Critically, we call for EWR and other transport partners to collaborate to ensure that the new stations and services are fully integrated with existing and proposed public and active transport routes and systems. In this way, a fully connected city region can emerge in which everyone can enjoy seamless journeys across modes and across the whole area, making employment, learning, training, healthcare and cultural opportunities fully available to everyone.
We look forward to EWR and the Government confirming its commitment to these principles and delivering this transformative new transport facility as soon as practical.
