The Luton Dart is not the only railway to be causing concern in Bedfordshire because of cost (Luton Dart: ‘the most expensive train in Britain’ opens for business, 3 March). In the north of the county, we are faced with East West Rail (EWR).
The current proposed route went from one of the most expensive possibilities to one of the cheapest. This difference is yet to be explained properly. In addition, many people did not know about this project until compulsory purchase notices were delivered.
There is still no business case for it, and the company responsible for building the line cannot inform local communities how much land will be needed. EWR, meanwhile, does not offer Bedford better journey times to commuting destinations, and it appears to be a way of creating land for building on rather than to reduce congestion.
Another drawback is that the chosen route will mean freight trains will travel the length of Bedford; to start with these will be pulled by diesel engines travelling through an area with poor air quality. However, in the confusion, proponents of the line have commented that it is not a freight line. This and HS2 show that we need to run these projects better.
Ian Nicholls
Bedford
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