East West Rail have released their 2024 consultation on the Bedford to Cambridge section.
Their route is via a Cambourne North station,,,, going parallel to the A428 and crossing over near Highfields Caldecote and then as an embanked line down between Toft and Comberton (near the layby) past Little Eversden, to the south west of the Royston Lane A603 It goes over A603 with a viaduct before heading to the south of Haslingfield, tunnelled through Chapel Hill to join the Kings Cross line near Harston.
As part of their latest proposals they’re providing information on a preference for green traction power in the form of discontinuous electrification with hybrid battery-electric trains, after the Chancellor confirmed government support for the project in the Autumn budget.
There is/will be an information point at Comberton Library and an in-person consultation event in Comberton, Comberton Village Hall, 10 January 2025, 2pm – 7pm
Responses need to be in by 25th January 2025 – go to their website for much more information and an on-line virtual consultation website.
Printed consultation materials are available to view at information points along the route, including the Consultation Document, Technical Report, Transport Update Report, maps and Environmental Update Report. Feedback forms and freepost envelopes will also be available to take away.
On-Line consultation
EWR have released their online consultation room where you can see their proposals in more detail (but little on Comberton !!)
Note their documents are long ! So below I will extract relevant to Comberton sections below
The two in-person consultations nearest Comberton are:-
Cambourne, Cambridge Belfry, 3 December 2024, 2pm – 7pm
Comberton, Comberton Village Hall, 10 January 2025, 2pm – 7pm
Additionally there are on-line briefings :-
- 20 November 2024, 2:30pm – 4:30pm
- 10 December 2024, 6pm – 8pm
- 9 January 2025, 10am – 12pm
My extract of bits to do with Comberton…..
Near us the first 19km (12 mile) route section includes a new railway beginning at the roundabout east of St Neots, running north of Cambourne and the new A421 dual carriageway and A428, before crossing the A428 and ending at the B1046 between Toft and Comberton. You can see a map below.
Then south of Comberton the next 14.3km (8.9 mile) section of the route extends between the B1046 Comberton Road to Addenbrooke’s Road, Shelford. The project would require new rail infrastructure along much of the route but would use an existing section of railway from a proposed grade separated junction (called Hauxton Junction), where it joins the existing Shepreth Branch Royston Line (SBR), which serves trains between Cambridge and London King’s Cross. You can see a map below.
The proposed works include:
• New twin-track track railway and associated infrastructure.
• Passing loops between Brockley Road and Cambourne.
• New station at Cambourne.
• Cut and cover tunnel beneath the A428, the proposed Bourn Airfield development and Highfields Caldecote, with associated temporary diversions of the A428 and other local roads.
• Various watercourse culverts, as well as two viaducts over Bourn Brook to the south of Comberton, and the Rhee/Cam to the west of Harston.
• Tunnel beneath Chapel Hill, south of Haslingfield.
• New overbridges and underbridges for road, track and path crossings, bridges and culverts for watercourses, and associated diversions where necessary.
• Various drainage and water storage ponds (referred to as balancing ponds) along the route section.
• Utility diversions along the route including overhead electricity transmission lines.
The passenger train service pattern between Bedford and Cambridge stations would be four trains per hour in each direction, with provision for up to two freight trains per day in each direction.
A428/Bourn Airfield crossing
East of Cambourne station and Knapwell Wood Road, the railway would drop into a cutting up to approximately 8m (26 feet) deep on the approach to a cut and cover tunnel. Two Pots Farm and an adjacent residential property would be directly impacted by the cutting and tunnel construction and is expected to require demolition.
The approximately 1.5km (0.9 miles) long cut and cover tunnel would pass beneath the A428, the north-east corner of the proposed Bourn Airfield development, the proposed Cambourne to Cambridge busway and active travel path, Wellington Way and Highfields Road. A tunnel services building and an emergency rescue area would be required at each tunnel portal exit. You can see a map below.
Hardwick to Toft
The railway would emerge from the tunnel in cutting approximately 12m (39 feet) deep. Caldecote Footpath 9, which currently ends to the north of the proposed railway, would be permanently stopped up to the south of the railway, approximately 250m (273 yards) short of its current end point.
Continuing south, Hardwick Bridleway 5 (the Harcamlow Way/Wimpole Way long distance path) would cross the railway via a new footbridge, with the railway remaining in cutting approximately 6m (20 feet) deep. The footbridge would rise approximately 2m (7 feet) above existing ground level and would be a green bridge to maintain a bat flight path across the railway.
The railway would briefly reach existing ground level to the north of Hardwick Road/Main Street, at which point a track maintenance access point would be provided. This would be accessed via new access roads from a diverted Hardwick Road/Main Street. A balancing pond would be provided to the south of the railway and would also use this access road.
To the south of the maintenance access point, the railway would enter a cutting approximately 7m (23 feet) deep to allow Hardwick Road/Main Street to cross over the railway on a new overbridge that would rise approximately 2m (7 feet) above existing ground level. The highway alignment would be diverted slightly to the west to allow the overbridge to be constructed while the existing road would remain open.
The railway would continue south in a cutting up to about 7m (23 feet) deep, returning to ground level before again entering an approximately 5m (16 feet) deep cutting between Toft and Comberton. The B1046 Comberton Road would cross over the railway, and a new overbridge, approximately 3m above ground level would be constructed slightly to the north of the existing highway alignment to allow the existing road to remain open during construction. The new overbridge would be a green bridge to maintain a bat flight path across the railway.
South of Comberton
After crossing beneath the B1046 Comberton Road, the route would pass to the east of Cambridge Meridian Golf Club in cutting for approximately 600m (660 yards) before emerging onto an embankment. At the transition between cutting and embankment, a maintenance access point with associated laydown areas is proposed on both sides of the railway which would be served by access roads from Comberton Road. In the same location, a balancing pond would be provided to the west of the route accessed using the western access road.
Toft Footpath 16 would cross over the railway midway along the cutting. To maintain this connectivity, a new footbridge would be constructed just above existing ground level. You can see a map below.
The railway would be on an embankment up to approximately 7m (23 feet) high on the approach to Bourn Brook. A new viaduct would be constructed to cross the brook and a balancing pond would be provided to the south-east of Bourn Brook. Sufficient clearance would be allowed underneath the viaduct to maintain a bat flight path along the brook. Maintenance access for both the balancing pond and viaduct would be provided via an access road from Comberton Road.
Eversden
The railway would remain on an embankment up to approximately 11m (36 feet) high where it would pass to the north-east of Little Eversden. Great and Little Eversden Footpath 26 would cross under the railway through an underbridge structure at existing ground level, with a small diversion to the footpath route. The railway would then pass over a tributary of Bourn Brook on another underbridge. Sufficient clearance would be provided beneath both underbridges to maintain bat flight paths.
North of Harlton
North of Harlton, the railway would cross over the A603 Cambridge Road and Long Brook on new underbridges. Sufficient clearance would be allowed beneath the Long Brook underbridge to maintain a bat flight path. It would then pass to the south of the University of Cambridge Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (MRAO) in a south-east direction.
Where the railway crosses the junction between Comberton Road and Cambridge Road, Comberton Road would be realigned to locate the junction with Cambridge Road further east. Washpit Lane would also be locally realigned, locating the Cambridge Road junction further west. A new southern access road off A603 Cambridge Road to the east of the railway would be provided to maintain access to residential properties previously accessed via Washpit Lane. The route would directly impact a warehouse accessed from Washpit Lane. EWR Co recognises the impact this would have and will be working with affected parties as the designs are further developed to agree measures to reduce the impacts of the proposals where possible, and to seek to enter into agreements with property owners where EWR Co would need to acquire property. You can see a map below.
Harlton Road
The railway in this area would return close to existing ground level. This would require Harlton Road to be realigned on a bridge to cross over the railway adjacent to the existing road alignment, enabling Harlton Road to remain open while the bridge is constructed.
Three balancing ponds would be built to the north of Harlton Road, one to the west of the proposed railway, and two to the east.
Access roads are proposed off Harlton Road both west and east of the railway to provide both connectivity for local landowners and maintenance access to the balancing ponds.
Chapel Hill tunnel
Where the railway passes south-west of Haslingfield, the existing ground rises forming Chapel Hill. The railway would enter a tunnel, approximately 700m (770yards) long beneath Chapel Hill, with cuttings either side up to approximately 26m (85 feet) deep. A tunnel services building and emergency rescue area would be required at each end of the tunnel. Where possible, these buildings would be located within the cutting to reduce potential visual impacts on the surrounding area. To provide maintenance access to the tunnel, maintenance access roads would be provided at the western end of the tunnel from Chapel Hill road and from Haslingfield Road to the eastern portal.
The incline of Chapel Hill means it would not be practical to run the route at or near ground level.
Here is a schematic of the route showing the outline of the consultation, railway, related construction area, mitigation areas, ponds, etc.
Now lets see what they are proposing in more detail from north west to south east below the Toft road down across the A603 … click on the image for bigger picture
An if we then look at the heights of the track along that route…
You may ask why there is an embankment to the south of the bourne brook viaduct – simply there must be at least 9m clearance over an road crossing like A603
If I find there is more to follow it will be added here.
Richard E