Network Rail’s public consultation on proposals to renew the railway’s signalling system and upgrade of seven level crossings across the Cambridge area opens today for six weeks.
The signalling systems around Cambridge were installed in the 1980s and are reaching the end of their expected operational life. Network Rail is proposing to replace hundreds of signalling assets across an area of 125 miles of track, stretching from Meldreth and Elsenham to the south, through Cambridge, up to Ely to the north and Thurston to the east, as well as Croxton level crossing (in Norfolk) on the cross-country line to Norwich.
The new signalling will help to put passengers first by:
- Improving reliability, performance, and efficiency of the railway
- Improving safety for all rail users in the Cambridge area
- Improving safety at seven level crossings for all crossing and rail users
How to have your say
Network Rail is seeking feedback to help develop the proposals before proceeding with seeking authorisation through a Transport and Works Act order. The public can provide their comments by visiting the project’s webpage and follow the link to the consultation documents and the online survey for the next six weeks: www.networkrail.co.uk/cambridge-resignalling
A dedicated email address is also available to send questions about the proposals to:
[email protected]
The public can also call a dedicated project hotline with questions or to request a hardcopy of the consultation documents by calling 0800 160 1426 between 1 March to 15th March at the following times:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 2pm-5pm
Wednesday: 5pm – 8pm
Saturday: 10am – 1pm
Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia said: ‘This is an exciting time for the Cambridge area as we embark on a huge project to renew the signalling systems across a large area of the railway. We’ve been working on the early stages but now would like to ask the public for their views.
‘We’re really keen to hear from of those who live next to the railway, specifically around the level crossings which we are looking to upgrade. These views will help us to make the best possible decisions and I would encourage everyone in those communities to have your say.’
Subject to obtaining the necessary consents, the work is expected to begin by the early part of 2022 and is currently planned to be complete by 2025. Upon completion the project is expected to have replaced almost 700 signalling assets.
For more information about the proposals and details on how to contact us during the consultation, please view our project webpage: www.networkrail.co.uk/cambridge-resignalling
Please follow us on Twitter @networkrailANG using the hashtag #CambridgeC3R
Photo credit: Network Rail
