Latest update from East-West Rail

The EWR Consortium has commissioned from consultants, Atkins, a costed outline design of the infrastructure required to run passenger services on the EWR Western Section, linking Oxford and Aylesbury with Milton Keynes and Bedford. The route could also from part of a longer distance cross-country service. Existing waste trains to Calvert will continue to run and the route might also be used by a freight service.

For the benefit of those of you who do not already have a copy, I shall attach an updated version of the leaflet about the scheme that I sent you in June. The most notable change is to the timetable. Construction is now expected to start in 2014 and services in 2016. Contrary to my expectation, the June version of the leaflet was not sent to Parish Councils along the route.

Atkins have been undertaking surveys along the route and they are also investigating arrangements for the stations proposed at Winslow and Newton Longville. At Winslow, a site was reserved in the Aylesbury Vale District Local Plan and Atkins’ investigations will include drilling a borehole there. The LDF Core Strategy proposes that the other station should be provided at the Salden Chase Strategic Development Area.

Atkins expect to complete the bulk of their technical work by December. The balance of their work will include notably working up the business case for the scheme and that work should be completed within the following 3 months.

Chiltern Railways’ Evergreen 3 project is a proposal to improve the route between Oxford and Bicester Town to allow them to provide an Oxford-Marylebone passenger service with effect from 2013. They hope to receive the Department for Transport’s approval for the expenditure in December. Evergreen 3 would deliver most of EWR’s requirements for the Oxford-Bicester section. Its implementation would reduce the cost of the EWR Western Section, in round terms from £250m to £200m.

The Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis, has expressed support for the EWR Western Section scheme in principle.

Funding is a critically important issue that is outstanding. The Regional Transport Board has been leading on the exploration of funding options. Lord Adonis’s positive reaction indicates acceptance of the wider strategic benefits of the scheme and it should, therefore, be possible to secure some funding from the national budget. However, in view of the importance of the scheme to the delivery of the South East Plan (SEP) and Regional Economic Strategy, it is likely that some funding will also be expected at regional level and from Local Planning Authorities on the route where there will be a direct benefit.

Insofar as Aylesbury Vale District is concerned, the mechanism for securing contributions from development and the amount of such contributions will be addressed in the LDF Core Strategy, Delivery Policies Development Planning Document and Supplementary Planning Documents. However, we have always made it clear that we do not expect funding to be raised by making additional allocations for development over and above those proposed in the LDF to accord with the requirements in the SEP.