HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Agenda Item No.
HIGHWAYS AND WASTE MANAGEMENT CABINET PANEL
THURSDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2014 AT 2.00PM
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EAST WEST RAIL IN HERTFORDSHIRE
Report of the Chief Executive and Director of Environment
Author:
Liz Drake,Strategic Rail Officer(Tel: 01992 588637)
Executive Member: Terry Douris, Highways & Waste Management
1.
Purpose of report
1.1
To provide an update for the Panel on the development of the central
section of East West Rail (EWR) between Bedford and Cambridge.
1.2
To seek the Panels’ endorsement to a proposal to engage with County
Councillors, district councils and the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise
Partnership (LEP) to establish whether there is support for a link
between Bedford and Cambridge passing through Hertfordshire, with a
view to bringing responses back to Panel to form an agreed
Hertfordshire County Council position.
2.
Summary
2.1
The East West Rail Consortium is a group of local authorities and other
interested parties that has for many years worked together to achieve
rail links between Oxford and Cambridge. The section west of Bedford
is to be implemented in Network Rail Control Period 5 ( CP5 2014 –
2019) but the more challenging Central section, to the east of Bedford
linking the Midland and East Coast main lines, is still at an early stage.
2.2
Development of the Central section has started to move relatively
quickly after a period of years when progress was slow and
challenging. Further to the recent completion of a study to identify the
key links (conditional outputs) in the area, momentum is building to
progress the Central section from Bedford to Cambridge.
2.3
A preferred route has not yet been identified but several options have
been developed in the past that included routes through Hertfordshire.
2.4
Progression of the East West Rail link eastwards to Cambridge would
support the objectives of the Council’s Local Transport Plan 3 (LTP 3),
the existing Rail Strategy and Hertfordshire’s Sustainable Community
Strategy and could create a valuable link between Luton and
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Stevenage. However there could be potential environmental impacts
and possible effects on existing rail services, depending on where the
route is located.
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Recommendation
3.1
That the Panel notes the update on the development of the central
section of the East West Rail link between Bedford and Cambridge and
endorses the proposal that the County Council seeks the views of
elected members of the County Council , district and borough councils
and the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partneship to inform future
County Council input into the development process.
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Background
4.1.
The Departement for Transport (DfT) has earmarked CP5 funding for
Network Rail to develop the case for a central section route. This work
started with a Network Rail facilitated workshop for stakeholders,
including the County Council, on the 22nd August where potential route
options were discussed. Options identified will undergo further analysis
by Network Rail and it is expected that a preferred route and service
pattern will be identified by early 2015.
4.2.
The aim is to include the case for a scheme to Government in 2015/16
to secure the inclusion of the scheme, subject to funding availability, in
the 2019-2024 (CP6) investment plans for the rail industry.
4.3.
It has been made clear by stakeholders that a robust case is fully
developed and that scheme development processes should not be
circumvented in order to achieve short deadlines.
4.4.
The current adopted 2011 County Council Rail Strategy, a daughter
document to LTP 3, supports an EWR central section link in principle
and a paper on the routing of EWR was presented to Panel in March
2009, where it was established that:
‘The County Council supported the principle of a link between the East
Coast and Midland main lines and with it the wider connections on the
Oxford to Cambridge corridor.’
4.5.
4.6.
Of the routes tabled in 2009, the one preferred by the County Council
was ‘Option 1c’, proposed between Bedford and Cambridge via Luton,
Stevenage and Hitchin, which would include the construction of a new
railway (see maps in Appendix 1 for route options considered). At this
point in time it is not clear if the current work would result in the same
route or a newly identified route being developed.
In order to ensure Hertfordshire’s interests are fully taken into
consideration in current work by Network Rail it would therefore be
timely to revisit the County Council’s 2009 position on a central section
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link for EWR and if such a link should pass through the County (see
attached map for the area where a route could go).
4.7.
It is therefore proposed that County Councillors, districts and the
Hertfordshire LEP are consulted by the County Council for their views
to inform a future Panel and to establish an agreed County Council
position on a EWR central link.
4.8.
This consultation would in the first instance look to establish if there is
support for the route to come into Hertfordshire. Subject to route
options being identified by Network Rail (and agreement locally that
the line should go through the County), views would then be sought on
a preferred alignment.
5.
Financial implications
5.1
The County Council resumed its membership of the EWR Consortium
in 2013, with an annual subscription of £3000. There are currently no
further expected financial implications. However local authority
stakeholders for the western section of EWR between Oxford and
Bedford have provided substantial funds, £45 million in total, to support
the realisation of the scheme.
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Appendix 1 East West Rail Central Section 2009 Options
Option 1A
Option 1B
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Option 1C
Option 2A
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Option 2B
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