Project to reopen Wisbech railway could cost £230million latest update reveals

Reopening the railway between March and Wisbech could cost up to £230million latest estimates have revealed.

The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, said more needed to be done to make the project “add up financially”, after it was given a “very low” benefit cost ratio by Network Rail.

The March to Wisbech railway first opened back in 1847, but closed to passengers in 1968, with freight services continuing until 2000.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has been looking at the potential of reopening the route with some form of public transport for the past few years.

The authority asked Network Rail to conduct an options assessment report to evaluate the possible ways of reopening the line.

Four options were looked at, including reopening a heavy rail line; a hybrid train and tram route; a light rail system, such as a tram; or a very light rail system.

The analysis looked at the potential costs of the options and said a heavy rail line could cost up to £230m, with a tram line of some kind potentially costing up to £182million.

All of the options looked at were given a “very low” benefit cost ratio.

At a transport and infrastructure committee meeting this week (November 4) Peter Wakefield, vice-chair of Railfuture East Anglia, called on the Combined Authority to “stop the procrastination and commit to building the railway back to Wisbech”.

Russel Beal, from Wisbech and Fenland Museum, said the business case for reopening the rail line should be linked to the concept of a Wisbech Garden Town, which he said would create additional passengers to travel on the line.

Councillor Anna Smith, Deputy Mayor and representative from Cambridge City Council, said the committee was disappointed by the information in the report, but said the Combined Authority was “firmly committed” to re-establishing a link between March and Wisbech.

However, she said the authority did not have the power or the funding to initiate a project to reopen the rail line on its own, adding that it was “essential” to get the support of Network Rail.

Cllr Smith said: “We fully recognise the situation of Wisbech as a major town in Cambridgeshire without a railway station and we understand the significant impact the improving connectivity could have on local mobility, economic growth and social inclusion.

“In light of the latest report more work is needed to demonstrate the deliverability, viability and economic justification of the March to Wisbech link to Network Rail and other stakeholders.”

Councillor Chris Seaton, from Fenland District Council said he was “disappointed” by the benefit cost ratios presented for the four options.

He suggested the Combined Authority should look at a wider project to also extend the rail line to Chatteris and to the proposed new Anglian Water reservoir, as he said this would offer more economic opportunities for both housing growth and leisure.

Councillor Neil Shailer, from Cambridgeshire County Council, said the analysis conducted by Network Rail looked at the current situation in the town where people have “adapted” to the lack of a rail line.

He recognised it was not Network Rail’s job to consider an infrastructure first approach, but said the authority should, as he said people and businesses consider transport infrastructure when choosing where to live or be based.

Cllr Shailer said the project was not just about creating a link between Wisbech and March, but about connecting Wisbech to the rest of the county and the wider national rail network.

He added that the reopening of the rail line had the potential to create wealth in the area, through businesses choosing to locate in and around Wisbech.

Councillor Angus Ellis, from Peterborough City Council, said the idea of connecting Wisbech by rail to the rest of the county was a “no brainer”.

The Mayor said the information presented in the papers was “disappointing”.

He said the authority needed to make the project “add up financially” as well as recognising the “huge potential benefits” of the rail connection.

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