Further talks planned on reopening of Wisbech to March rail line
Local leaders are considering a range of options, including a traditional railway or a lighter tram service
There is ‘still commitment’ to the Wisbech Rail project, but the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is planning to look at different options for what it will actually be.
The Wisbech Rail project aims to reopen the Wisbech to March rail line, which has been closed since 1968.
Reopening the line is hoped will better connect the town with the rest of the county, including offering direct services to Cambridge.
On the Combined Authority’s website it said: “Wisbech is one of the key towns in Fenland and one of the largest towns in the country without a rail link.
“The Fens have not been well-served with rail connections, so longer journeys are unavoidably made by more complex bus travel or long trips by car.
“Wisbech is a growing town and a lack of a rail service will be – and already is – a barrier to growth and prosperity.
“Currently it is difficult for people in Wisbech to travel around the region or further afield reducing job options and wellbeing.”
The Combined Authority has been looking at the project since the authority was created five years ago.
Previous to that Cambridgeshire County Council had done work looking at reconnecting Wisbech to the rail network, including publishing an outline business case and feasibility study in 2015.
In December 2020, the Combined Authority completed its own full business case for Wisbech Rail.
Network Rail reviewed these plans earlier this year and recommended that other options should be considered other than heavy rail.
The review said: “Before the project proceeds any further it is recommended that discussions are held between Network Rail, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, and the Department for Transport to determine the future direction of the project.
“As well as heavy rail, other options such as tram-train and light rail should be further considered as per the recommendations of the Network Rail engineering report and Network Rail light rail feasibility study.”
At a meeting of the Combined Authority’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee yesterday (Wednesday, November 16) councillors agreed to look at different options, but said they would prefer to keep pursuing a heavy rail option.
Authority officers explained at the meeting that the heavy rail business case had assumed that the separate Ely Area Capacity Enhancements (EACE) scheme would provide the necessary infrastructure upgrades to enable the increased services to Cambridge.
The costs associated with this work were also not included in the Wisbech Rail business case, but officers said Network Rail had recommended “removing assumptions about EACE”, including all costs required for the Wisbech to Cambridge work should be included in the business case as a standalone project.
The meeting heard that the EACE scheme also required significant funding, with a total cost of over £450million and that the government had not yet announced the next steps for EACE.
Councillor Neil Shailer (Labour), from Cambridgeshire County Council, said he would support continuing with the heavy rail option.
He said: “This is really about connecting Wisbech and I think that is about freight, it is about future expansion and the idea that there is an argument that we either do all or nothing I think is a bit of a red herring.
“I think from our point of view we would support heavy rail options, and if it means that we continue that development regardless of the EACE – and in some ways that might even enhance the business case for the EACE, of course we can not second judge what is going on in central government at the movement – but I would be absolutely in support of continuing with a heavy rail option.”
Councillor Chris Seaton (Conservative), from Fenland District Council, said he supported going through with the options assessment.
He said the authority needed to be ready in case “things change within government” and said the Combined Authority did not want to be “on the back foot” if things started to happen and the authority did not have an “oven-ready case to go forward with the Wisbech Rail”.
Cllr Seaton said: “I agree that heavy rail should not be taken off the agenda on this, I think we need to look at all options and I know from a Wisbech point of view, certainly from members in the Wisbech area, there is a preference to have a heavy rail option included.”
Councillor Lewis Herbert (Labour), from Cambridge City Council, and chair of the committee, said: “Overall the committee wants to keep the options open and would prefer heavy rail, but it is an issue of cost as well.
“Clearly if we can get Ely as an early decision that will free up the easier priority for this addition.
“Wisbech Rail has been a project for the Combined Authority since its inception five years ago, it is one, along with Fenland District Council, that is something that we really are committed to.
“We await with interest what the decisions are on Thursday, November 17 on rail. Rail still has a huge part to play in the future, including in shifting people out of cars and helping to protect the planet.”
The committee agreed that an options assessment report should be prepared to look at the different options for the project.
The assessment is estimated to cost £300,000. A report presented at the meeting said the project currently had a £230,00 budget approved, and so the committee recommended that the Combined Authority Board approved the drawdown of £80,000 in order to fund the assessment.