In response to a videoed question from Anthony Browne MP, the Transport Secretary confirmed the importance of making sure East West Rail “stacks up”.
As part of Mr Browne’s continued campaign to see the East West Rail Business Case, he asked the Secretary of State for Transport, Rt. Hon. Mark Harper MP, for an update as part of a series of video interviews now released on social media.
The Secretary of State confirmed the importance of the business case and offered reassurance to constituents who may be concerned that they will not be consulted, saying “So, for each part of it, we’ll want to make sure there’s a solid business case for it that will go through all the normal processes. So [South Cambridgeshire] constituents can be reassured that we’re not going to build anything unless it absolutely stacks up in the national interest”
The transport secretary also reconfirmed the plans for Cambridge South Station, something Mr Browne campaigned hard for in 2019 and ensured was fully funded during the first Budget of the new parliament in 2020. The Secretary of State praised Mr Browne’s campaign and confirmed that “the station is absolutely on track – looking to get it open in 2025. You’ve made the case for it very strongly and the Government is doing the investment to deliver for our constituents.
Anthony Browne MP later commented: “We absolutely must see the business case for East West Rail. The Secretary of State is right to put greater emphasis on that case – but we all need to see it and properly scrutinise it too.
“We must also see the overly delayed results of the statutory consultation. I can think of no conceivable reason why it would more than a few months to fully prepare a report on the last consultation – it has now been well over a year and a half. These delays only hurt South Cambridgeshire, leaving residents uncertain, distrustful, and under the weight of continued planning blight.
“I’ll keep pushing to ensure this all goes into the public domain, keeping my commitment to always fight for full transparency.”