A councillor in Buckinghamshire has warned Cambridgeshire residents to take action now before the East West Rail bulldozers move in.
Cllr Frank Mahon told those attending a meeting arranged by campaign group Cambridge Approaches that construction works had “massively impacted” his area.
He said temporary traffic lights and road closures remained despite the project almost being completed.
“It has been an absolute nightmare for seven years for the residents of my area in particular,” he told the meeting.
Cllr Mahon, who sits on Buckinghamshire Council and is also a parish council chairman, stormed: “They’re a law unto themselves, they just pull up and close a road at a minute’s notice, causing mayhem for school buses.”
East West Rail (EWR), which will connect Oxford to Cambridge via new stations at Cambourne and Tempsford, near St Neots, is intended to form a crucial part of boosting the Oxford Cambridge Arc. It will be delivered in three stages, Oxford – Milton Keynes; Oxford – Bedford and Oxford – Cambridge.
The first stage is being constructed by the East West Rail Alliance (EWRA), which is made up of VolkerRail, Laing O’Rourke, Atkins and Network Rail.
Track laying for EWR’s first connection stage between Bicester and Bletchley in Buckinghamshire was announced to be “99 per cent complete” in December.
The EWRA says it works closely with local authorities to ensure that planned closures are coordinated between all relevant parties to reduce impact and prevent conflicts.
The alliance is also working closely with the local authorities to complete the highway works associated with the project, this, it said, includes an extensive road repairs and reinstatement programme.
Cllr Mahon said: “The major problem I had a lot of the time in this area was that people didn’t believe it was coming until the bulldozers physically arrived. Nobody, apart from half a dozen people, were prepared to stand with me and stop what was going on.”
He urged Cambridge Approaches to get the message out to residents: “Act now, not when it’s too late”.
An East West Railway Company spokesperson told the Cambridge Independent: “Throughout construction we have focused on minimising local disruption as much as possible, which includes working with relevant authorities to ensure road repairs and other remedial works are carried out in a timely manner and to a very
high standard.
“EWR will leave a lasting, positive legacy in areas affected by our construction and we are taking all of these learnings into the next phases of the project.
“Once completed, EWR will help reduce congestion, cut travel times and increase connectivity, while bringing a huge boost to the local and national economy.”
