Spending budget 2023: East-West Rail to open up location says enterprise group

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Image supply, Ben Schofield/BBC

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A consultation about a proposed route of the East West Rail line closed in June 2021

A enterprise group has stated the proposed East-West Rail line will bring investment to the complete area, not just areas on the route.

Particulars in the Spending budget revealed the route of the hyperlink in between Bedford and Cambridge will be confirmed in Might.

Hilary Chipping, the Chief Executive of the South East Midlands Neighborhood Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), stated it was “definitely fantastic news”.

But MP Richard Fuller stated the program was “out of date and desires a refresh”.

The £5bn East-West Rail project aims to connect Oxford and Cambridge, by means of Bletchley close to Milton Keynes and Bedford.

Ms Chipping stated: “East-West Rail will provide such financial possibilities to this location.”

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Hilary Chipping from SEMLEP believes East West Rail will be great for investment in the area

She stated the route would imply Cambridge firms could expand to areas like Milton Keynes and Bedford.

Ms Chipping believes the improvement would support hyperlink towns such as Northampton and Corby with the rest of the area.

Without having the new rail line “roads will come to be extra congested and firms may well appear elsewhere”, she stated.

“It is about linking nearby communities and linking firms and opening up expertise and talent to encourage that financial development and inward investment.”

Image supply, Ben Schofield/BBC

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MP Richard Fuller believes nearby transportation should really be prioritised more than East-West Rail

But Richard Fuller, Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire, stated he does not assume the announcement was great for his constituents.

“However once more we have no enterprise case for East-West Rail,” he stated, accusing the Treasury of becoming “led by the nose” in to the announcement.

The MP stated the proposal was undesirable for the atmosphere and “out of touch with contemporary travel specifications”.

‘Sustainable and affordable’

He named for “new plans focused on nearby transportation”, saying East-West Rail was “letting down the persons whose homes and properties are at threat from this railway.

“Let’s see the numbers and then let’s see if the case genuinely stacks up,” he stated.

He described the route as “controversial” and “environmentally brutal”, adding he was operating with MPs and other nearby politicians to come across options.

Image supply, Stuart Ratcliffe/BBC

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A new station is becoming constructed at Bletchley in Buckinghamshire

The East-West Railway Enterprise stated 71% of nearby residents surveyed assistance a transport connection in between Oxford and Cambridge.

Beth West, chief executive of East-West Rail, stated: “The government’s route update announcement that is set for Might will present a level of certainty that I know a lot of persons have been waiting for.

“It will allow us to press ahead with our plans and provide a more rapidly, extra sustainable and very affordable way to travel that meets nearby desires and improves everyday lives.”