Door-to-door connectivity
Door-to-door connectivity considers the travel needs of people from the very start of their journey until they reach their destination.
Our approach would enable seamless, easy and safe journeys for everyone across the East West Rail route, including people with additional accessibility needs, with a focus on:
- Connectivity to and from stations.
- Promoting and enabling active travel.
- Maintaining community connectivity.
Connectivity to and from stations
It is important that customers can get to and from our stations with ease. We aim to enable a choice of travel options to do this, including the private car, but focussed on public transport, active travel (cycling, walking and wheeling) and shared mobility (such as car sharing).
As we develop our design, we will continue to consider how to provide easy transfer between all transport options at stations served by East West Rail. This will include bus interchanges, facilities for cyclists, and ‘mobility hubs’ which offer shared mobility services such as cycle and scooter hire.
Promoting and enabling active travel
Active travel is a way of making everyday journeys physically active – like walking, wheeling (using a wheelchair or mobility aid), cycling, or scootering.
There are many benefits to this type of journey. Any kind of physical activity is good for us and helps take cars off the road, reducing local road congestion and air pollution.
At stations, we would seek to provide secure storage and facilities for all types of cycle and scooters, including adapted bicycles. We are working with local authorities to seek to make infrastructure, such as cycle and walking paths, safe and easy-to-use on routes to and from stations.
Maintaining community connectivity
It is vital that people can still get to places that are important to them without adding excessive time, distance or effort to their journeys.
Where cross-community links could be affected due to the closure of level crossings and public rights of way, we would seek to develop suitable safe and convenient alternatives and would consider the specific needs of people such as Persons of Restricted Mobility (PRM), equestrians, cyclists, and school children in our designs.
How will East West Rail deliver all of this?
Our proposals would provide for facilities and services at stations and measures along the railway, to enable active travel and seamless transfer to East West Rail services.
We can’t deliver our plans in isolation, so we will collaborate with local authorities on routes to and from stations which fall outside of our Development Consent Order and within the communities across the East West Rail route to complement and improve current active travel and public transport networks.
Some examples of what we’re considering
In Bletchley we’re working with the local authority and other local stakeholders to make it easier to access the existing railway station to and from the surrounding area. We are developing our understanding of how improving public spaces and opportunities for active travel could further improve access. One idea under consideration that could help with this is a new eastern entrance to the station. As with any additions to a project, there are funding implications for this approach which will need to be taken into account.
At Cambourne we’re looking at potential active travel routes to and from the station to facilitate connectivity to the town centre and to the proposed housing developments in the area.
At Oxford Parkway we’re working with the local authority and other key stakeholders to determine future needs at the station in terms of the provision of car parking, bus interchange and active travel facilities.