Haslingfield Comments on Alternative East West Rail Route Alignments
The Cambridge Approaches Oversight Group includes a collection of local parish councils discussing route alignments in the area for the new East West Railway. Although EWR have not yet proposed detailed route alignments the Cambridge Approaches Working Group has produced some representative options and they are set out here.
All options will have some impact on Haslingfield residents, however option 2 passes just to the north of the village on flat ground while options 3, 4 and 5 pass south of the village either in a tunnel or more likely in a cutting which could pass quite close to the south of Haslingfield.
In addition to the passenger service we expect 24-hour freight operation on the link to Felixstowe – the UK’s busiest container port.
Some impacts to consider in your comments include noise, vibration, visual impact, air pollution from diesel locomotives and impact on wildlife / ecology. While road access should be maintained, footpaths and bridleways may not. Some of the routes pass between Haslingfield and Harlton.
You might also consider the utility to Haslingfield residents of access to stations at Cambourne and Cambridge South for travel to Oxford by train. There will not be any intermediate stations.
Please email any comments you have to Councillor David Revell (email: david.revell@haslingfieldparish.co.uk) by Monday 28th September 2020.
NEVILLE JAMES COLE
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May I add the following thought?
Mention has been made of access to passenger services via Cambridge South
, or, Cambourne. Given the SCDC ideas for cleaner and greener why not adopt the
following? At the proposed Barrington cement works development of hundreds
new homes, an obligation to provide a simple, but effective, rail station to use the spur from Foxton. Trains/trams to serve the Cambridge stations and at Foxton
connect southbound. Through ticketing automated. This Barrington station served
by green and clean shuttle buses circulating surrounding villages on a regular
timetable. A benefit, given the size of the housing development and the likely
number of cars there, is a reduction in vehicle movements on rural roads. Cleaner
air. Reduced accident risk and effects.
Where i live, Gaillac, in southwest France, was the first nationally to introduce a green clean shuttle bus on local services. 6 years ago. It’s free to use. A small
town of about 15000.
What price greener and cleaner?
Neville James Cole
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William
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The EWR Eastern Prospectus talks about Felixstowe. See here. https://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/eastern-section-prospectus/
EWR explained that this prospectus had been created by the EWR consortium of local councils rather than EWR itself. EWR are trying to play down the significance of Freight traffic, however the consortium is evidently not. They see this area as a great way to connect the busiest container port in the UK to The Midlands. I will let people join the dots.
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NEVILLE JAMES COLE
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Has there been forthcoming any solid information vis-a-vis the benefits of Brexit
and the plethora of free-trade arrangements that will see increased container traffic
through Felixstowe? The proponents of the line have this available? Long haul sea routes from Asia and the Americas?
Nville James Cole
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Jennifer Gore
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I am concerned about the vibration affecting our Grade 1 listed church, as with so many other buildings in Hasllingfield which are built of soft clunch.
The proximity of the railway to the village school, recreation ground and clunch pit quarry would change the social and environmental nature of our village.
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