Transport and Logistics Network
Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas who spoke about being on the brink of suicide after his wife’s death has emotional reunion with man he ‘helped save’ after seeing him ‘threatening to end his life’ on a motorway bridgeHe said it was ‘amazing’ that so m…
Drivers[1] in and around Milton Keynes[2] will have seven National Highways road closures to watch out for this week.
And two of them are expected to cause severe delays – with motorists facing waits of at least 30 minutes. Another three will cause moderate delays of between 10 minutes and half an hour.
The latest expected works list, with notes from National Highways, shows that three closures already in place are expected to carry on this week:
Seven closures have been confirmed, photo from PA Images/David Davies
• A421, from 10pm January 3 2022 to 6am June 3 2023, moderate delays (10-30 minutes): M1 both directions, junction 13 to junction 14 – various lane closures and carriageway closures for Smart Motorway works on behalf of CostainGT.
• A421, from 10pm January 3 2022 to 5am June 15 2023, moderate delays (10-30 minutes): M1 both directions, junction 14 to Hartwell Area 7/8 border – various lane closures and carriageway closures for smart motorway works on behalf of CostainGT.
• A5, from 7pm November 29 2022 to 11pm August 4 2023, severe delays (more than 30 minutes): A5 northbound, Redmoor roundabout northbound, entry slip – works under 24 hour slip road closure for emergency wall repair under rail bridge on behalf of Network Rail.
Thames Valley Police announces results from new road safety operation using new …
And a further four closures will begin over the next two weeks:
• A5, from 8pm June 5 to 6am June 14, slight delays (under 10 minutes): A5 both directions, Redmoor to Old Stratford Roundabout – exit and entry slip road closures, lane closures and diversion routes for inspection/survey on behalf of National Highways.
• A5, from 9pm June 9 to 5am June 10, moderate delays (10-30 minutes): A5 southbound, Kellys Kitchen Roundabout – partial roundabout closure, lane closure and diversion route for communications on behalf of National Highways.
• A5, from 8pm June 12 to 6am June 16, slight delays (under 10 minutes): A5 both directions, Kellys Kitchen roundabout and all approaches – works under lane closure for tie in works on behalf of Winvic.
• A421, from 9pm June 12 to 5am June 27, severe delays (more than 30 minutes): M1 both directions, junction 14 entry and exit slips – works under slip road closures on behalf of Ringway Milton Keynes.
National Highways is responsible for maintaining motorways and major A-roads, so closures of smaller roads will not be included in their schedule.
Campaigners are calling for the central section of East West Rail to be scrapped on the grounds of dependence on housing development and a poor business case to justify the next steps.
Cambridge Approaches says the East West Rail Company (EWR Co) has d…
Improvements are needed along the A5 to tackle congestion and safety concerns, local councils have said. The A5 Partnership[1] is calling on the Government to invest in the route over the next decade.
Leicestershire County Council[2], Hinckley and Bosw…
Global building materials supplier Cemex has made a considerable investment into its UK rail network, making improvements at several of its depots across the country. These developments support Cemex’s efforts to increase the use of rail to move its m…
A regional logistics depot in Milton Keynes, established by Palletways UK, is celebrating its three-year anniversary in business by doubling its pallet volume KPI for the year in just three months.
Palletways Milton Keynes first opened its doors in Apr…
There will be drop-in sessions to find out more
East West Rail[1] has claimed the service will boost regeneration in Bedford[2] as it announced its latest proposals today (Friday).
The latest proposals include the announcement that EWR is sticking with its six-track plan and route E option north of Bedford.
The company says plans for EWR have been updated following feedback from the second non-statutory public consultation with local people. The updated proposals include two new stations for Bedford – with St Johns station being moved closer to Bedford Hospital between Ampthill Road[3] and Cauldwell Street.
EWR route map
There will also be a multi-million-pound makeover of the Bedford Midland station, supporting the wider regeneration of the town centre. And a new station will be buil t near Tempsford.
According to East West Rail, the route will slash travel times by up to 40 minutes for people living in Bedford who want to travel to Cambridge[4] or Milton Keynes. Today, journeys between Bedford and Cambridge take 50 to 75 minutes by road and two hours by train. EWR will cut this to just 35 minutes.
And trains would run roughly every 20 minutes in each direction between Bedford and Bletchley, with line speeds faster than the current 60mph but capped below the 100 mph originally proposed in 2021.
Meanwhile, the number of homes at risk in Bedford has been reduced from 97 to 65, with the company saying it is continuing to look for ways to reduce this even further and a Proposed Need to Sell Property Scheme being set up to help imacted landowners.
East West Rail: 65 homes in Bedford on the chopping block as new rail route reve…
Beth West, CEO, EWR Co, said: “People[6] in Bedford deserve access to faster and more reliable east-west public transport, and EWR is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to open up new journeys, cut travel times, ease congestion on local roads and bring more jobs within reach of people living locally.
“Quick, reliable public transport linking Bedford with Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford continues to have widespread local support and our updated proposals have been shaped by the hundreds of conversations we’ve had with local people, businesses and other stakeholders and the thousands of responses we received to our most recent public consultation.
“By adding two additional tracks to the Midland Mainline tracks north of Bedford, EWR will be able to serve Bedford town centre and deliver faster and more reliable east-west public transport services that will unlock new opportunities for people in Bedford and the surrounding areas. We recognise that these additional tracks would affect some people’s homes and we’ve been determined to reduce this impact. By challenging the design, we’ve found ways to significantly reduce the number of properties affected in this area and are today publishing new guidance and support for landowners.”
A series of public drop-in events are being arranged to provide opportunities to meet the EWR Co team and find out more about the updated proposals.
Justin Richardson, chief executive, Bedfordshire Chambers of Commerce, said: “Bedford’s regeneration is already underway, and the new East West Rail line will boost it significantly, helping more people travel right into the centre of Bedford. It will help local businesses to be better connected with other regional businesses and institutions and bring more jobs within the reach of local people. The improved connectivity will also help to attract new investment into Bedford town centre and the surrounding areas.”
Maps showing updated proposals of the route between Oxford-Cambridge, and the Cambridge[1] approach, have been released by the East West Rail Company (EWR Co).[2] The government announcement today (Friday, May 26) showed their preference for a southern…
Talks to transform the Black Cat Roundabout[1] have been going on for some time but yesterday (May 22) Highways England confirmed that full construction can begin after a legal battle over planning permission. The busy roundabout in Bedford provides ke…
The East West rail project has been a contentious one since the then Chancellor, George Osborne, breathed new life into an old idea back in 2011. The scheme would see a direct train service from Oxford to Cambridge without having to change. However, th…