The events, which will take place in June and July, will help residents understand how East West Rail (EWR) is progressing and provide opportunities to meet the EWR Co team face-to-face. The sessions are open to everyone, with events located in Bicester, Bletchley, Cambourne, Cambridge, Haslingfield, Hauxton, Lidlington, Oxford, and Woburn Sands*.
Members from the EWR Co team will be on hand at the events to talk about any aspect of the project, illustrated with plans, maps and other information, as well as talking about likely next steps for the project.
The first two events in the series took place in Bedfordshire in May and proved highly successful. More than 350 local people attended, with many expressing how much they valued the chance to meet the team in person.
EWR Co was set a welcome challenge by the public during its second consultation held in 2021, with respondents raising over 160,000 individual matters to consider, each one of which must be taken into account before the next stages can be announced. However, while no new information will be available as the feedback is still being comprehensively reviewed, the team are eager for people to come to meet them outside the formal consultation process.
Beth West – who joined EWR Co in April 2022 with a long track record of delivering projects focused on community and sustainability said:
“I am a passionate advocate of community involvement and am delighted that these events are underway. In my first weeks at EWR, I have talked in depth with people from across the route and have seen how clearly people want us to create something that supports the future of their communities.
“These views were echoed at our recent public events in Bedfordshire, where it was clear people genuinely valued the opportunity to talk to us. Even when we don’t have new information to share, we want to keep talking and we plan to hold these more informal events outside of consultation regularly.
“People deserve accessible, good quality public transport wherever they live, and EWR has the potential to make a tangible, positive impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. If you live or work in the area between Oxford and Cambridge this is a great opportunity for you to meet the EWR Co team.”
These public events have been launched now that the Government has lifted Covid-19 restrictions. They are not part of the formal consultation process but provide an additional opportunity for EWR Co to share information about the project in person.
In addition to these events for the wider community, EWR Co continues to talk directly with residents and businesses whose land is potentially directly affected by the proposals, via individual appointments.
For more information , please visit https://communityhub.eastwestrail.co.uk/community-events. If any resident or business has specific concerns they would like to discuss separately to these meetings, they can get in touch by emailing contact@eastwestrail.co.uk.
-ENDS
Notes to editors
*Event details:
| Date |
Time |
Venue |
| Wednesday 29 June |
14:00 – 20:00 |
The Clayton Hotel
27-29 Station Rd
Cambridge
CB1 2FB |
| Thursday 30 June |
14:00 – 20:00 |
Lidlington Church Hall
High Street
Lidlington
Bedfordshire
MK43 0RT |
| Monday 4 July |
14:00 – 20:00 |
John Paul II Centre
The Causeway
Bicester
OX26 6AW |
| Friday 8 July |
14:00 – 20:00 |
Summerlin Centre
138 Station Rd
Woburn Sands
Milton Keynes
MK17 8SG |
| Thursday 14 July |
14:00 – 20:00 |
The King's Centre
Osney Mead
Oxford
OX2 0ES |
| Friday 15 July |
14:00 – 20:00 |
Coronation Hall
3 Stoke Road
Bletchley
Milton Keynes
MK2 3AB |
| Tuesday 19 July |
14:00 – 20:00 |
Haslingfield Village Hall
New Road
Haslingfield
Cambridge
CB23 1JP |
| Wednesday 20 July |
14:00 – 20:00 |
The Cambridge Belfry
Back Lane
Cambourne
Cambridge
CB23 6BW |
About the East West Rail project
East West Rail intends to create a new direct connection between Oxford and Cambridge. Serving communities across the area, it intends to bring faster journey times and lower transport costs as well as ease pressure on local roads.
East West Rail is planned to 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 the East West Rail, connecting Oxford with Bicester, and is a partner in a construction alliance to deliver Connection Stage 1 of the project, where East West Railway Company (EWR Co) and Network Rail are acting as the Department for Transport’s joint sponsors.
EWR Co is now developing the route to enable services to run to Cambridge via Bedford and plans to seek statutory powers under the Planning Act 2008, following a period of extensive consultation.
About East West Railway Company
East West Railway Company (EWR Co) was set up by the Secretary of State for Transport in 2018 to develop East West Rail, a railway with customers and communities at its core.
We have a mission to innovate and challenge the status-quo in the rail and construction industries, leading to a more efficient and cost-effective project delivery, and a great experience for passengers and the communities we serve. Our vision is delivery of a safe and secure railway that is better for the customer; cheaper for the taxpayer; delivered quicker than before and is greener for the environment.
Our distinctive outlook and commitment to doing the right thing for our customers and local communities runs through everything we do and every decision we make.
