I recently initiated a 90 minute debate on Central Railway in Parliament after the recent publication of the Consultants Report to the SRA entitled “ High Level Review of the Central Railway Project”. The report left more questions unanswered than answered, and has exposed a project built on unreliable evidence. In light of the report I sought to press Government Minister David Jamieson on whether the Government now supported the existing Central Railway scheme.

I used the debate today to try and pin the Government down on whether the latest work by the Strategic Rail Authority will be the last before the Government decide to kill the Central Railway proposal or back the hybrid bill proposed by the company, which I believe will be an environmental catastrophe for the constituency 20 times worse than the recently defeated incinerator proposal.

The Central Railway proposal would have as great an impact in the Reigate constituency as anywhere in the Country. An area of Outstanding Natural Beauty would play host to the end of a 14km tunnel that would take 5 years to construct. I believe the operations of the railway would have a disastrous impact on the quality of life of thousands of residents in Merstham where the route is proposed to run overground.

David Jamieson, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State replying for the Government gave little comfort to residents on the line of route saying “blight was regrettable but inevitable. It was important to give the scheme a fair and thorough hearing and that careful consideration would be given by the Government to the SRAs further review reporting in September”

Today the Government seem genuinely confused over their role in the transport sector. One thing the government isn't, is decisive. With this mindset we can expect a lot more muddled thinking on the Central Railway proposal, and in that atmosphere the chances of taking the wrong route are heightened.

To view the debate in full, please click here.