Initial works for new £62m rail station begins

Preparatory works will begin off Meadow Road to ensure the ground is ready for future construction

Preparatory works for a long-awaited new train station are set to begin.

Plans to build a new two-platform station at Wixams, a new town close to Bedford, were first discussed over 20 years ago.

Bedford Borough Council has now entered into an agreement with Network Rail to construct the station costing £62.2m.

Initial work will begin off Meadow Road in the area starting on Tuesday, which Conservative councillor Graeme Coombes said was "really good news".

"I'll be relieved when the station is built and the trains are pulling into the platform then I'll think it's actually happening," Mr Coombes, who represents the area, told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"Obviously it's really good news. Other works have been going on recently, this is just the latest stage.

"Bedford Borough Council signed an agreement with Network Rail in late July and that has really triggered all of this work that is going to be taking place. It is big news."

A dedicated site compound off Meadow Road will house temporary officers, welfare facilities for staff as well as parking and storage areas for the work.

The work will prepare the ground for future construction in the project.

Network Rail and the council said they would minimise noise and disturbance for residents by implementing traffic management plans as well as scheduling deliveries and work outside peak morning and evening hours.

However, some overnight work on the railway will be conducted, to keep workers on the line safe.

The overnight work dates, according to the council, will be:

• 28 to 30 September

• 26 to 31 October

• 1 to 2 November

• 4 to 11 November

• 7 to 9 December

Fields and a former brickworks in Stewartby, Bedfordshire have been purchased by Universal Studios

It is hoped the station will be completed by 2026, however plans for a new Universal Studio theme park could delay this.

Universal Destinations and Experiences has previously told the BBC it plans to open an all-year-round park after it bought a 476-acre (193-hectare) site at Kempston Hardwick.

Mr Coombes said the station design would need a reconfiguration to increase it to four platforms to account for visitors heading to the area for the potential theme park.

Recently six local authorities backed plans for the theme park that could generate £50bn for the UK during construction and the first 20 years of operation.

Some residents have expressed concerns about infrastructure, increased traffic volume and noise but Universal has said discussions with relevant transport authorities, local and national government would continue to ensure all elements were in place to support the project.

The company previously said it was still deciding whether to continue with the plans.