East-West Rail project: 'It's going to cut us in half' By Phil Shepka & Ben Schofield BBC News image captionLidlington level crossing is at the heart of a number of East-West Rail proposals Residents of the small Bedfordshire village of Lidlington talk proudly about their thatched-roof pub, beautiful woodlands, lake popular with birdwatchers and their unique position at the bottom of a steep winding hill. But there are fears it could be divided in two under plans for a new rail link. How have the villagers reacted? Lidlington's level crossing is at the heart of a number of proposals under the £5bn East-West rail project. It could be closed for 40 minutes every hour.