Autonomous vehicles could be a solution for Wisbech’s long-awaited reopening of rail line

An autonomous transport system could be the answer to the Wisbech to March rail project.

That was the verdict of the Peterborough and Cambridgeshire’s transport and infrastructure committee chair Anna Smith when the subject of Wisbech Rail was raised at Monday’s meeting.

The Wisbech Rail project aims to reopen the Wisbech to March rail line in some form, in order to better connect Wisbech with the rest of the county. Wisbech is one of the largest towns in the country without a rail link, and there has been a determined campaign to change that status for over a decade.

The project is being headed up by the Combined Authority, which previously approved £310,000 in funding to look at the different options for what the new transport link could look like – with four options on the table including a conventional rail link, a hybrid of tram and train system, development of a light rail or tram, or a very light rail transport system.

However, Cllr Smith said that following the committee’s November meeting, when Wisbech Rail was last discussed and when Network Rail’s report on the various options was postponed to this spring, the Combined Authority had contributed its collaboration with the rail authority to strategically compare all of these options.

The Combined Authority had also agreed to look at possible alternatives and these included the potential introduction of a guided transport link using autonomous vehicles for the Wisbech to March scheme.

Cllr Smith emphasised the word “potential” and said no decisions had been made on rail-guided systems for the Wisbech to March link.

But she said an autonomous passenger link could provide a “faster, cheaper, superior” alternative to traditional transport types.

Adding the Combined Authority was keen for other alternatives to be in the mix and said autonomous vehicles had the potential to extend beyond the Wisbech to March corridor and potentially offer enhanced rural connectivity to other Fenland towns and cities.

Cllr Smith said the Combined Authority had commissioned further analysis and that this approach would ensure everything is on the table for discussion in that way she said it would enable the committee to prioritise what is best for the region and the wider network as well as for people and businesses.

Wisbech Rail was back on the agenda following a written question from Paul Hollinghurst, secretary of campaign group Railfuture East Anglia.

He wanted to know what the latest was on the scheme as there was due to be an update by March 31 and so far Wisbech Rail had not been on any of the committee’s agendas.