"Strong words" exchanged over delay to Biggleswade railway station access project

“Strong words” were exchanged at a meeting to update progress on a project to provide disabled lifts and ramps at Biggleswade railway station, according to the town’s deputy mayor.

Groups involved in the process had their first formal chance to react to a delay to the development completion date.

More than half a million pounds savings have been planned on the scheme already from its initial ambitions.

Rising costs imposed budgetary pressures on Network Rail and the cuts are preventing other projects being scrapped, the company warned previously.

Deputy mayor Madeline Russell told a town council meeting: “There was a meeting of the Access for All group chaired by Conservative North East Bedfordshire MP Richard Fuller on February 3.

“The group includes representatives from Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedfordshire rail access network (BRAN), as well as the town council,” she explained.

“Everyone was very disappointed to learn the revised timescale for the project. It means the new access won’t be operational until January 2025, with no plan to shorten that time frame.

“Some quite strong words were said at the meeting because this is probably two years longer than originally proposed.

“There was better news from GTR which announced that work on a new toilet block has begun this month. There’ll be male, female and accessible toilets, with a new soakaway.

“Connection to the sewers will take place over two weekends to fit in with traffic management for the transport interchange,” added councillor Russell.

“The interchange remains on course to be completed by the end of March.”

Network Rail reduced aspects of the access project at Biggleswade railway station to save £582,000. An initial forecast of £2.4m was predicted to cover the development.

The company explained this early estimate was for “construction costs only”, with a revised total offering a better reflection on “all funding associated with the design, delivery and management process”.

Price increases in building materials were described by BRAN as an “eye-watering amount”, potentially more than doubling the cost of the scheme.

The Network Rail investment authority had approved the access plans for work to start last October.