Full Steam Ahead in Support of East West Rail for Bedford

I have long campaigned with colleagues for the delivery of an East West Rail line between Bedford and Oxford to the West and Bedford to Cambridge (and beyond) to the East. Re-opening these links to major centres such as Oxford and Cambridge and to main lines to the east and west would provide a tremendous boost for our local economy, helping to attract investment and support jobs and growth. I was therefore delighted last autumn when the Government announced its commitment to deliver the Western section of the East-West Railway, between Bedford and Oxford and Bedford and Aylesbury.

In the small print of this announcement, within the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, was the detail that delivery will be dependent on sufficient local contributions. Bedford Borough Council has been working with other Councils along the prospective route and has signed up to a joint commitment to ensure that those local contributions are available. The joint working across the authorities on the route to date bodes very well for this huge project, as it will need real commitment from all partners to maintain momentum.

Council Finance Portfolio Holder Cllr Michael Headley was on ITV Anglia News last week talking about our commitment to the line and the benefits it will bring. The report is still available to view online here: http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2012-05-09/developments-for-two-major-railway-lines-in-our-region/