CambridgeshireLive readers give their verdict on East West Rail plans
The announcement of the preferred route for the Oxford-Cambridge railway line caused quite an uproar among residents. Also known as the East West Rail[1] (EWR) project, it involves a £5 billion line linking England’s two most famous university towns and research hubs.
Some have slammed the project, saying it will cause problems for people living in Cambridge and its nearby villages. This includes a number of concerns from campaign groups, specifically regarding the impact on the environment and the vast number of new housing developments that would spring up around it.
On the other hand, East West Rail says that this is a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to open up new journeys and provide faster, reliable and more affordable public transport. They also add that it will create 80,000 jobs.
Recently, we asked CambridgeshireLive readers in a poll[2] whether they think the proposed route would be beneficial or harmful. The results were overwhelmingly in favour of one side of the debate.
In total, 84 per cent of those polled said the railway line would be a bad thing, while 14 per cent said it would be positive. Meanwhile, the remaining two per cent said they were unsure.
Despite the poll results being mostly against the railway, the readers who left comments[3] were a lot more mixed in their opinions. They left a wider range of feedback, with some saying it would improve public transport, while others said it was unsustainable and that the money should be spent elsewhere.
You can find the latest information on the East West Rail project by visiting the website here[4].
References
- ^ East West Rail (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ poll (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ readers who left comments (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
- ^ here (eastwestrail.co.uk)