Hitchin looks to have lost out in the battle to win a place on the proposed East West Rail Link, after planners announced their preferred option was the Bedford–Sandy–Cambridge corridor.

Proposals for the line’s central section had included a Bedford to Cambridge line going through the Hitchin area, and a more southerly route to Cambridge via Luton, Hitchin and Stevenage.

Network Rail will publish written documentation supporting this decision in May. Consultation will then take place to decide the exact route.

Roger Smith, chairman of the Hitchin Rail User Group, said: “It’s important to remember the labels ‘Sandy’ and ‘Hitchin’ always applied to corridors rather than the towns – I don’t think it was ever intended to come all the way down to Hitchin.

“The old Bedford-to-Hitchin line is completely unusable now, you’ve had bridges demolished and the Old Warden Tunnel would need to be totally rebuilt.

“I would raise a few problems with a Sandy route, but we’ll have to wait and see what reasoning they come out with in May.”

For more see eastwestrail.org.uk or networkrail.co.uk/east-west-rail.