East West Rail consultation events attended by more than 3,000 people
A total of 3,100 people attended events for East West Railway Company’s latest route-wide consultation on the project.
Over 5,000 feedback forms have also been received during the consultation, which was held between April 14 and June 9.
The 16 events, both in-person and online, allowed people to learn about updated plans and provide feedback on the latest designs for the project, which will connect Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.
East West Rail says feedback from the consultation will be taken into account as designs for the project are finalised before a Development Consent Order (DCO) application to build the railway is submitted in 2027.
Organisers said the consultation attracted strong engagement, including more than nine million views of EWR Co’s Facebook page
The company’s Instagram page also generated over 3 million views, with the YouTube channel also receiving more than 3 million views.
People attending the events were able to discuss the updated proposals with members of EWR Co’s team and see the latest designs and route section animations. There were also three separate online webinars which people could join and ask questions.
Key design updates for EWR include an accelerated construction programme to deliver the benefits of the railway to communities earlier and the delivery of up to five trains an hour, along with five-car, rather than four-car, trains due to increased demand expected as a result of the new Universal resort being built.
David Hughes, EWR chief executive, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to attend our consultation events, join our webinars, explore the information online and share their views with us - we really value the time and thought people have put into their feedback to help us shape the future of East West Rail.
“This consultation was an important opportunity to share our latest designs, including proposals to accelerate construction and increase train capacity, and to hear directly from communities about what matters most to them.
“East West Rail will enable quicker journeys, reduce congestion, boost connectivity and job opportunities, as well as support new housing and drive economic growth. We will use this feedback to help finalise our design before we submit a Development Consent Order next year to build this vital railway and deliver these huge benefits.”
Feedback from the consultation will be published in the autumn in a summary report outlining main themes received during the consultation.
For more information about East West Rail, [email protected] or call 0330 134 0067.