Airtrack -  on track but off track....

BAA and Network Rail have made an application under the Transport and Works Act, (TWA) to build a new rail line from Staines to Heathrow, and totally mess up Egham's Level Crossings.   

The Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis, has decided to have a Public Inquiry, and will appoint an Inspector to consider the application.   The Inquiry will be in late spring 2010/  

As of now, because Airtrack is not planning to build anything in Egham, the Inspector does not need to consider what will happen in Egham if this scheme goes ahead.

We must make sure that our tunnel under the level crossing is included in the plan. Otherwise a good scheme, to improve public transport to Heathrow, will end up ruining Egham people's lives.

The Dept for Transport's official consultation ended on 18 September and about 1500 people made submissions.   Out of these 965 mentioned Egham's level crossings as their reason for objecting.

More importantly, on 17 September, Runnymede Borough Council (RBC) decided to change their stance from one of "Support with qualifications" to  "Objection" unless something is be done about our crossings.

This a great news, because it means Egham and our local authority now see (nearly) eye-to-eye on Airtrack. 

The other great news is RBC in conjunction with Surrey County Council carried out a feasibility study and concluded that a tunnel at Pooley Green may be  possible with the loss of just one residential property.  Surrey County Council's  engineers say they are still at the "pre-feasibility" stage, but provided we can keep the pressure up,  they will find a way to make the thing fit.

But we still need to convince Surrey County Council that they should take the same stance as RBC: To object to the Airtrack scheme unless it includes a tunnel in Egham. So far, all they are saying is that they are "identifying a package of mitigation measures"  which they think Airtrack should pay for

Surrey is due to finalise it's submission at a council meeting on 15 December and you are urged to contact all the councillors you know anywhere in the county and explain that they MUST make the Tunnel a pre-condition.

Our Councillors will hopefully be making the case very strongly, but some extra persuasion can't hurt.

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