You may have noticed that this blog hasn’t had regular updates since June last year. There have been multiple reasons for this: I wanted to take a break after the EWR consultation closed, as I had produced a lot of material in a short space of time; I was no longer using the railways around… Read More Bedford Rail
This article offers some quick thoughts on the ‘East West Main Line Strategic Statement’ recently published by Network Rail. The most important thing to understand about this document is that Network Rail does not have any formal role in East West Rail (EWR). Unlike any other major rail project, EWR is a separate company that… Read More The ‘East West Main Line Strategic Statement’
There are still a couple of weeks to respond to the EWR consultation. Please do so, if you have any view on the proposals and what they might mean for you or for Bedford more widely. Hopefully the articles on this site will be useful in getting an overview of the issues. For instance: Anyone… Read More East West Rail 2021 consultation: how to respond
On May 16th a new timetable will be introduced on the Midland Main Line, and with it Bedford’s rail services will settle into a new pattern, after three years of change and disruption. Rail users in the town, particularly those who commute to London, have good reason to look back on this period with anger… Read More May 2021 timetable changes – what do they mean for Bedford?
Introduction This article looks at the extensive proposals to upgrade [EDIT] one of only two parts [/EDIT] of the Oxford to Cambridge route that is currently both in existence and open(ish) to traffic: the Marston Vale line, between Bedford and Bletchley. [The other being between Oxford and Bicester.] As it looks at a whole line,… Read More East West Rail 2021 consultation: the Marston Vale line
The East West Rail consultation proposes a major revival for the second of Bedford’s railway stations, Bedford St Johns. However, there are options for what form it will take. The available options are shaped by the available spaces for new infrastructure, which in turn are dictated by the history of Bedford’s railways in that part… Read More East West Rail 2021 consultation: Bedford St Johns station
So, we now have sight of the next consultation on East West Rail. It contains an abundance of information about emerging plans for the railway and the different options under consideration. It also includes a shocking new proposal to demolish around 50 homes in the Poets area, and impinge on the gardens or parking areas… Read More The East West Rail consultation
Although the last few articles on this blog have been avowedly COVID updates, as we approach the turn of the year it’s probably appropriate to look ahead rather more broadly. Taking the very biggest picture for the railways first, there are big questions about when social distancing requirements will end and therefore train travel can… Read More The railways, Bedford and 2021
Welcome back to Bedford Rail – it’s time for another review of how the railways around Bedford are being affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been a while since the last one, as your correspondent has been busy with shows on Bedford Radio, and a series of historical articles that will hopefully appear on… Read More Coronavirus and the railways V
The timetables for Bedford have undergone another slight update, and with news emerging about our future services it’s therefore time for another look at the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the railways. Current services On the Marston Vale line, there are still no passenger trains. The bus services remain in place, and work continues… Read More Coronavirus and the railways IV
Bedford Rail 