Our new railway station will be 'an amazing thing'

Parish councillor Saqhib Ali is very happy that work is under way to build a new railway station for Wixams

The start of work to build a new £62.2m railway station in a new town is an "amazing thing", a councillor said.

Saqhib Ali, chairman of Wixams Parish Council near Bedford, said it had been promised 20 years ago and once completed will open up the area.

Preparation work, off Meadow Road, has begun that will see a two-platform Wixams station.

Bedford Borough Council has entered into an agreement with Network Rail to construct the station, which could open by 2026.

The Wixams Station project was taken over by Bedford Borough Council in 2018

Mr Ali said: "Many people moved here thinking there was going to be a railway station; I moved here in 2011, and it was promised in 2014.

"Right now we've about 3,000 homes - that's about 10, 000 people

"It's a growing community and for many people whether it's going to Luton, whether it's to get to school in Bedford, to commute or just to go shopping, it will be an amazing thing."

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

He said if Universal Destinations and Experiences go ahead with plans to open an all-year-round theme park, at nearby Kempston Hardwick, the two-platform station could be explanded to four tracks.

That would mean as well as Thameslink trains on the Midland Mainline, East Midlands Trains could then stop at the station.

"We would have intercity trains, which would be a game changer, but we want a railway station first," Mr Ali added.

"The railway station will open us up; we're centrally placed and I think people come here from Luton, London, Bedford to make a new beginning."

He said as long as adequate parking was put in and the roads were not clogged up with commuters "trying to dodge the parking fee, we will welcome it with open arms".