East West Rail Non-statutory Consultation
This report is by Mike Stapleton who attended the consultation at Great Shelford Rugby Club on 22/11/2024.
Future Consultation in the Cambridge area:
Comberton, Comberton Village Hall, 10 January 2025, 2pm – 7pm
Cambridge, The Clayton Hotel, 18 January 2025, 12pm – 5pm
Cherry Hinton, St Andrews, 21 January 2025, 2pm – 7pm
It appears that East West Rail have decided that the southern route meets their needs in spite of many objections. Accordingly I have considered the affects of their plans.
Details of the plans can be found at :
First navigate to the bottom of the document. Click here to access “our consultation document”
This web site is hard to navigate as it first comes up with a welcome screen which has a vague icon lower right which enables access to their consultation room. The consultation room does not mention that you can scan round to the left or right and this enables access to the back room where you can find boards that show details of the plans. Boards 16 & 17 are relevant to Comberton to Cambridge. You can find more info in the Consultation document.
These plans are not as detailed as those at the consultation in Gt Shelford.
The consultation was attended by several hundred people.
My main interests are from Harlton to Shelford but I have looked at plans for Cambridge and the Cherry Hinton turn around. The plans around Comberton and Cambourne are sketchy but there are one or two points that interest cyclists/pedestrians.
Cambourne Station is about a mile away from the town centre.
The railway crosses the A603 on a bridge. Comberton Road will be moved NE and Washpit Lane will be SW of the new bridge.
More detailed consultation for the rest of the route.
1. Haslingfield Road Harlton. There will be a new road bridge over the railway.
2. Haslingfield Chapel Hill. There will be a tunnel under the hill.
3. Rhee Valley. The railway will be on a low embankment and a viaduct over the River Rhee. The footpath should be maintained under the viaduct.
4. A10 south of Harston. There will be a new road bridge a little to the East of the existing road. This will extend as far as the Harston Mill turning. So the cycle Path will be rebuilt.
5. Option 1, which is not preferred, provides a new road from Mill Hill on the Harston to Newton Rd to the A10 near Huffers Brook. Could be a dangerous crossing particularly for cyclists.
6. Both Options. The Harston crossing would be closed. E-W Rail will not agree to a bridge or subway due to the configuration of the railway at this point.
7. Options 1 and 4 both envisage a new pedestrian bridge about 400M NE of Harston crossing. There would be a long ramp from Station Road for cyclists. There would be a link to the location of crossing 37, which would be closed, probably via steps. This would only provided if there is a high level of public demand so we have make applications from as many of our members as possible.
8. Option 4. There would be a new road along the line of the existing trackbed linking London Rd to Station Rd Harston.
9. London Rd Harston will be diverted east on a new road which will cross the railway & Shelford Rd on bridges. Shelford Rd will be reworked to climb up to a junction on the south west side of London Rd.
10. A new road will be provided from just east of the M11 bridge on Hauxton Rd to join Newton Rd SW of Little Shelford.
11. The crossing on Hauxton Rd will be closed. A Pedestrian & cycle Bridge could be provided just north of the existing crossing. Cyclists are mentioned in a document sent to Harston Parish Council. It might also be placed along the line of Hauxton Rd. This would only provided if there is a high level of public demand so we have make applications from as many of our members as possible.
Generally I think the provisions are relatively good for cyclists. Items 5, 7 and 11 are important matters for cyclists.
I would have liked the pedestrian bridge, envisaged in item 7, be placed closer to the existing crossing. The grading on the west side would have to be considered as the bridge is high.
Time line.
No one has offered a definative time line.
There are several steps before the application for a Development Consent order can be submitted. When this is granted there will be a period when the initial legal tasks go ahead. Then they can start construction. I guess 2030 is the earliest spades in the ground start date. There will be some disruption to cycle routes particularly the Harston to Newton route. I expect construction will take about 5 years so earliest completion 2035.
Mike Stapleton. 24th Nov 2024.
A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign 