Airtrack
BAA’s 2nd phase consultation on their plans for the Airtrack scheme closed on 15th December & focused mainly on new track required from Staines to Heathrow T5 & plans for a new depot at Feltham. However, BAA;s complete dismissal of the need to address the level crossing issues in Egham caused a considerable furore across the community & led to a widespread campaign to complain to both BAA & other authorities involved in the process (including a Downing Street petition which closed on 24th January with 1,850 signatures). Bridges &/or tunnels are under review & it should be noted that we have been joined in the level crossing issue by Spelthorne & Richmond, who have similar concerns. BAA’s response to the consultation is awaited with interest (ahead of their Transport & Works Act application which was due in April but is now unlikely before July)! We, along with RBC, SCC & our MP, remain in favour of the Airtrack scheme in principle on environmental grounds but only if the crossings issue is resolved as part of the project.
The government's response to the online Downing Street petition that closed on 24/1/09 is attached & effectively defers any comment until BAA submit their Transport & Works Act plan.
Pending BAA's response to the consultation & their TWA application, a traffic delay survey was undertaken in early March around the 4 Egham level crossings on behalf of SCC & RBC and is being followed up by a postal & interview census. The plan is to use this data in SCC & RBC’s legal evidence to the Public Enquiry that will follow BAA's submission.
At a meeting of the Egham Consultative Group on 31st March, we were advised that our RBC & SCC Councillors were pushing for :
a) a review of manual vs automaticgates at the crossings
b) further assessment of a tunnel at Pooley Green (estimated cost c.£20M)
c) consideration of a sloping footbridge at Station Road to allow prams, bikes etc to cross while barriers down; and
d) direct engagement with the emergency services over their concerns over crossing downtimes.
BAA's TWA submission has now been made & public consultation commenced on 24th July until 18th September. See following website for more details & how to make your views known : www.egham-airtrack.co.uk
The results of the BAA consultation are still awaited but a Public Enquiry has been called by the Secretary of State for next Spring in Staines. This was originally due for February but BAA have sought a delay to "late Spring" to allow more timetabling work to be done by Network Rail (which designed to partially alleviate some of the downtime concerns at the Egham level crossings).
In the meantime SCC are conducting a pre-feasibility study on a tunnel at the Pooley Green crossing (reporting in January with costs estimated at $16-20mm?), Phillip Hammond MP is working to secure the tunnel solution & Network Rail are investigating new automatic barrier technology (whilst admitting that the only real solution is structural).
