Bedford Borough Council must take a more proactive stance on such a critical local issue as East West Rail. We therefore ask the Council to:

Actively press East West Rail Company and the Department for Transport to provide

the current business case, including costs, benefits and passenger projections, well

before the DCO application for Ministerial approval.

Make clear that waiting for publication as part of the DCO process is not acceptable.

Use its position to seek greater transparency so that residents and elected

representatives can properly assess the case for the railway before further decisions become irreversible.

East West Rail will have significant and potentially irreversible consequences for Bedfordshire.  

Concerns already include: 

·         Impact of construction traffic along with local traffic management plans

·         Raising of bridges to accommodate new electrified track at Ampthill Road, Cauldwell Street and possibly Ford End Road.

·         Rebuild of Bromham Road bridge for two additional tracks

·         Erection of 9-storey multi-storey car park (MSCP) to serve the hospital and relocated Bedford St Johns station

·         Concurrent build of phase 1 of the Hospital Elective Care Hub

·         New Bedford Midland Station and associated MSCP and surface car parks in Ashburnham and Ford End Roads

·         Major works surrounding the Sainsbury’s roundabout area due to:

       Construction of 2 new tracks northwards from past the Poets district

       Repositioning of the National Power electrical distribution facility

       Re-alignment of the Great Ouse Way incorporating 2 new rail overbridges

·         Construction of 1.1km rail viaduct over the Clapham flood plain

·         Extensive cuttings to accommodate gradients up the Clapham escarpment

·         Vast areas lost to construction and storage compounds during build

·         Property losses to facilitate the project

·         Clapham – Black Cat Concerns

·         Unconsulted intention to sever Graze Hill Lane

·         Proposed closure of B660 for major underbridge construction without acceptable bypass

·         There is a lack of acceptable access points between the construction route and the public road system

Residents should not have to wait until the DCO process is underway before being able to examine the evidence for a project of this scale.

This petition is not about supporting or opposing East West Rail. It is about demanding the evidence needed to make an informed judgement.

The Government's own Lovegrove Report called for greater transparency on major infrastructure projects so that costs and benefits can be scrutinised before irreversible commitments are made.

Bedford Borough Council should be asking for that transparency now - not simply waiting for it to arrive.