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EWR Constructional Impact Maps of Route E – Clapham to Roxton

BFARe Press Release

5 August, 2024

The Route E constructional impact maps have now been released from East West Rail Co through the Freedom of Information process. These maps are referred to as “Plan Profile Drawings”.

The drawings provide previously withheld levels of detail regarding the intended route and its implications for landowners, commuters and local residents. Please bear in mind that these drawings date from early 2022 and may not represent the final proposal.  

The drawings cover the before and after effect of EWR Co’s adoption of the Tempsford Variation (TV) announced at the Route Update Report in May 2023.  The TV changes mainly affect drawing -412 and a simplified replacement Drawing -168001 has been provided and is included with explanatory comments.

Sample Image – Please Click Links below for detailed maps

The North Bedfordshire drawings showing detail from Clapham through to Tempsford are below and a comprehensive description on how to read the information and provide context as put together by our BFARe technical team is attached here (Al1(TV) Plan Profile Drawings Publicity Brief).  This brief also contains links to the drawing series -413 to -417 which cover beyond Tempsford to Cambridge

The adjacent Bedford Town constructional impact map has also been requested, is awaited and will be published when released by East West Rail.

The Drawings

The EWR Plan Profile Drawings show the impact of the construction along the preferred alignment of Route E.

They comprise a series of drawings (-410 to -417) starting at the River Ouse at Clapham and run through Brickhill, Ravensden, Wilden, Colesden, to the north of the Black Cat roundabout and on to Cambourne and finally Harston, SE of Cambridge. 

Although 2 years old, these drawings show what we consider will be very close to the intended fundamental final design and layout of the railway across north Bedfordshire.  The included landscaping features will no doubt be subject to debate and variation but the ‘structural’ nature of the design and the location and size of the construction logistics parks are believed unlikely to change.

The basic drawing sequence covers the original Alignment 1 which has since been varied with the incorporation of the Tempsford Variant to cross the East Coast Mainline (ECML) at Tempsford rather than St Neots (S).  This change is confined to the -412 drawing and a replacement drawing -168001 has been released by EWR Co and is included below in addition to the original.

The drawings show the immense scale of the intended works – not only the embankments, viaducts and cuttings, but also road diversions, public right of way closures and diversions, drainage works, and the huge construction compounds located at frequent intervals along the route. Conspicuously absent are any plans showing how many of these compounds will be accessed, unless by wholly unsuitable country lanes.

Key to Constructional Maps / Drawings

An A4 extract of the drawing series key can be found at this link. This can be printed for reference whilst browsing the -41* series of drawings at high magnification

Bedfordshire Constructional Maps / Drawings

Clapham to Ravensden

Example Map Only – Please click link below for complete map

Drawing -410    Clapham flood plain, Escarpment, Carriage Drive, North Brickhill/Woodlands, Graze Hill, Thurleigh Road, Sunderland Hill and Ravensden Water Tower

To help the public understand the implications of this drawing across a wider area, please see the Google Earth overlay here. Note that no constructional details from the original EWR -410 apart from basic depictions of cuttings, embankments and viaducts are included

Ravensden to Wilden

Drawing -411    Ravensden Water Tower, Redbrick Cottages, Wilden, Reservoir, passing loop, start of Tempsford Variant

To help the public understand the implications of this drawing across a wider area, please see the Google Earth overlay here. Note that no constructional details from the original  -411 apart from basic depictions of cuttings, embankments and viaducts are included.

Original Alignment – Colesden, Chawston, Black Cat North, St Neots Station (S) and Little Barford

Drawing -412    Original alignment 1 – Colesden, Chawston, Black Cat North, St Neots Station (S) and Little Barford

Updating Drawing -168001 showing the Original Alignment (blue) vs Tempsford Variant (red) Colesden, Roxton (North), Black Cat South and Tempsford Station

Drawing -168001    Shows both original alignment (blue) and the Tempsford Variant (red) Colesden, Roxton (north), Black Cat South and Tempsford Station, then rejoining alignment 1

Overlay Tempsford Variant on Google Maps – Colesden, Roxton to Tempsford Station

Transposition of Drawing -168001 Track Footprint Features to the Equivalent Google Earth Base Map  between the drawing cut lines indicating embankments, cuttings and the viaducts which were not represented on -168001 but no details on land take whether permanent or just supporting construction.  The land take for the original Alignment 1 via St Neots (S) marked on -412 is broadly indicative of what will be required for the Tempsford Variant diversion.

Please contact BFARe for any further information.

BFARe Technical Team

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