FAQ

Would the A47 crossing lead to increased congestion?

A level fully modernised level crossing with barriers operated by the train would be closed briefly for the train to pass and would not increase congestion on the A47. Work done by the County Council shows that the roundabouts at each end of that stretch of the A47 are the problem rather than the flow of traffic over the crossing itself, in particular at the crossing of the busy B1101 and A47. A fast moving passenger train would have little effect overall on any particular journey on the A47.

Has a parkway station next to the A47 been considered?

The plans current for the railway are those of the County Council whose ongoing study considered a second station in Wisbech but found it would load too much cost onto the initial capital costs. We think it is best to leave out this second station for the immediate future and ensure the line is reopened to a town centre station which can be accessed by walk, cycle or bus from the town centre. If the route is reinstated successfully, it is something which can be reconsidered.

What level of service would run?

The Wisbech Rail Reopening Campaign suggests an hourly service from Wisbech to Cambridge would be of most benefit to Fenland, also providing a much improved service from March and Manea. The service would run to Ely, Cambridge Science Park and Cambridge with connections from there to London.

What happens as a result of the Petition being presented to Cambridgeshire County Council?

The County County will contact us to let us know what they intend to do in response to it. However, this is work which is already ongoing in the Council and the purpose of the petition is to help support the political process to drive this work through as a priority.

What happens next?

The County Council have already published Phase 1 of their study which has shown that the line could be operated profitably. The Phase 2 study has been commissioned which will determine the capital costs of reopening the line. This will report later in the Summer and if the costs are acceptable a full Business Case will be developed.

Who is the Wisbech Rail Reopening Campaign?

The Wisbech Rail Reopening Campaign is being lead by Railfuture, the UK’s leading independent organisation campaigning for better rail services for passengers and freight. http://www.railfuture.org.uk/
The Campain aims to encourage support for the reopening of the railway and help all organisations involved to push this scheme forward as a priority.

How does this scheme relate to what is proposed by The Bramley Line?

The Wisbech Rail Reopening Campaign are independent of The Bramley Line group and propose that the line is reopened as part of the national railway network with an hourly through service from Wisbech to Cambridge to provide a high quality public transport connection to employment centres in Cambridge and beyond.  The campaign is grateful to The Bramley Line for maintaining an interest in the railway over the years since the line was closed.