The Parish Council received an update recently from the CEO David Hughes:
East West Rail – seeking your views on our proposals, confirmation of non-statutory consultation dates
East West Rail (EWR) is a once in a generation opportunity to create a new rail link which would connect people and businesses in the communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.
EWR is being delivered through three Connection Stages:
Connection Stage 1- enables services to run between Oxford and Bletchley/Milton Keynes.
Connection Stage 2- enables direct services between Oxford and Bedford.
Connection Stage 3- completes EWR and would enable passenger services to operate between Oxford and Cambridge via Bletchley and Bedford. This is the project we are consulting on.
Whilst work has been ongoing to develop our proposals, we have been in conversation with the Department for Transport and new Ministers to agree the next steps for consulting the community on the project. Following these conversations, I’m delighted to confirm that we will be holding a non-statutory consultation between 14 November 2024 and 24 January 2025. Feedback gathered during the consultation will help us further develop and refine our designs, which we will present at a future statutory consultation.
As a key stakeholder with an interest in the project, we wanted to reach out to invite you to share your feedback on the proposals and how to feed into the consultation. More information regarding the consultation, including details of the consultation events can be found on our website at eastwestrail.co.uk/consultation2024.
I am also delighted to confirm that we will announce our plans for electrification at the consultation, where we will express our preference for discontinuous electrification with hybrid battery-electric trains. This option would mean that overhead lines would only need to be installed along some sections of the route, which would significantly reduce disruption during construction and potentially decrease visual impacts in more sensitive locations along the new railway between Bedford and Cambridge. Discontinuous electrification would also cost less than full electrification and would require less land for things such as mast foundations.
This consultation will be the third consultation on EWR (following on from our consultations held in 2019 and 2021) and will present our latest design concepts for the project, including areas where we are considering alternative options. Consultation feedback from the community and our stakeholders is important to ensure we deliver the best possible railway and we’re looking forward to presenting our proposals from 14 November.
Please find here (insert the poster here) is a copy of the consultation poster which is available for you to share with your communities. If you would like a printed copy of this document please email and this can be posted to you.
If you have any questions relating to the project or this consultation, please get in touch using and the EWR team will be happy to help.
