East West Rail’s in-person consultation events restart this week

East West Rail’s in-person consultation events restart this week after a short break over the Christmas and New Year period. Since the consultation was launched on 14 November 2024, more than 3,000 people have attended community events to learn about updated plans for the project connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford, and Cambridge.  

East West Railway Company (EWR Co) is encouraging people to attend the remaining events* and provide feedback on the early designs for the new railway.

East West Rail (EWR) says it will unlock access to jobs and space for businesses to grow, regenerate town centres, improve connectivity across the region and the rest of the UK, and support new affordable housing.

The third non-statutory consultation, which ends on January 24, has attracted significant engagement since it launched. This includes:

• 3,136 people have attended in-person community events so far
• More than 2,200 feedback forms have been received
• Over 33,000 website consultation page views have been made
• Over 4,600 interactive map views have been registered
• The virtual consultation room has recorded more than 5,000 views by more than 1,700 users

The first of six remaining in-person events is being held tomorrow (January 7) where people can discuss the updated proposals with members of EWR Co’s team and see revised design work.

There is also a separate online webinar people can join and ask questions.

The updated proposals contain revised infrastructure and design plans for a new stretch of railway between Bedford and Cambridge, plus essential railway improvement works to upgrade the existing railway between Oxford and Bedford.

The plans have been updated following feedback at our previous non-statutory consultation and further technical design work. The consultation comes after the Government committed to delivering EWR in full in the 2024 Autumn Budget.

David Hughes, CEO, EWR Co, said: “Our consultation events have been attended by more than 3,000 people across the route wanting to learn more about our updated proposals and sharing their feedback in significant numbers.

“I have really enjoyed discussing the benefits of the new rail line with people at the events and hearing their views on it as this exciting project builds momentum with passenger services between Oxford and Bletchley due to start later this year.

“There is strong support for East West Rail and much more certainty about the project now. I would encourage people to find out more about the project by attending one of the remaining events and sharing their views to help us refine our designs further to present at our statutory consultation.”

The main consultation document can be viewed on our consultation page. This page contains the Consultation Feedback Form, which we encourage people to complete to share their views on the project, alongside other supporting documents – these include a Technical Report, which provides further information about how we have developed our designs; an Environmental Update Report and a Transport Update Report, which contain preliminary information about the likely effects of our proposals, and maps, plans and visualisations, which show the proposed route alignment and features, the land that would be required for the project, and illustrations of what some of the main features of the railway could look like.

The non-statutory consultation aims to obtain feedback on the early designs, including areas where we are still considering options. Feedback from the consultation will be taken into account as the designs are further developed and preferred options chosen.

For more information about the consultation and how to get involved, please visit the consultation page or contact their helpdesk at contact@eastwestrail.co.uk

For information and feedback from a previous consultation in 2021, visit:
https://eastwestrail.co.uk/consultationfeedbackreport

Video on the consultation

Video on understanding the non-statutory consultation and the DCO process

Video on traction

• The purpose of this non-statutory consultation is to obtain feedback on the early designs, including areas where are considering options. Feedback will be taken into account as we develop the designs in more detail and select preferred options. Feedback will also be used to review potential opportunities and inform plans to mitigate the impacts of the project.
• A statutory consultation will then be carried out where we will present more detailed information about the proposed infrastructure, its likely environmental impacts and the measures and strategies we are developing to mitigate those impacts. Feedback from the statutory consultation will be taken into account before we finalise our proposals and submit our application for a Development Consent Order, which if approved, would grant consent to build the new railway between Bedford and Cambridge, as well as the other upgrades between Oxford and Bedford to deliver the full proposed EWR service.

*Remaining consultation events are as follows:

Attendance at consultation events so far:

About the East West Rail Project

The East West Rail Project is a once in a generation opportunity to connect people and businesses between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford, and Cambridge through a new direct rail line. It is a railway with community at its heart that will open up new journeys, cut travel times, and ease congestion on local roads.

The route will connect people to the things and places that matter, bringing local benefit and sustainable growth by unlocking the social and economic potential of the area.

The East West Rail Project will be delivered in three Connection Stages:

• Connection Stage One: Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes
• Connection Stage Two: Oxford to Bedford
• Connection Stage Three: Oxford to Cambridge

Network Rail was responsible for developing the first part of Connection Stage One, connecting Oxford with Bicester before the East West Rail Company (EWR Co) was set up. Since 2018, EWR Co and Network Rail have partnered in a construction alliance, East West Rail Alliance, to complete Connection Stage One. EWR Co and Network Rail are acting as the Department for Transport’s joint sponsors.       

To deliver Connection Stage 2, work is ongoing to bring forward services between Oxford and Bedford from the end of the decade. Planning consent for these works was also granted by the Transport and Works Act order in 2020.

Connection Stage 3 would complete East West Rail and enable passenger services to operate between Oxford and Cambridge via Bletchley and Bedford. To complete this work, we will need to apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO), which would grant consent to build the new railway between Bedford and Cambridge, as well as the other upgrades between Oxford and Bedford to deliver the full proposed EWR service.

About East West Railway Company

The East West Railway Company (EWR Co) is a non-departmental public body with limited company status set up by the Secretary of State for Transport in 2017 to deliver the East West Rail (EWR) Project.

EWR Co aims to bring fresh thinking to the Project, challenging the industry status quo, leading to more efficient and cost-effective project delivery and better outcomes for the communities in and around the Project.

The corridor, which runs from Oxford through Milton Keynes and Bedford to Cambridge, is an economic artery that makes the UK a global leader in life sciences, technology, and innovation, with the potential to create jobs, drive growth and attract investment for the entire country.