East West Rail | Local Representative Groups

History of LRGs

Here at East West Railway Company (EWR Co), we’re passionate about hearing what local representatives and their communities think about East West Rail (EWR). It means we can work together as we build a successful project that will deliver shorter journey times, lower transport costs and ease pressure on local roads while bringing people closer to the things that matter most – jobs, friends and family.

In 2022, seventeen Local Representatives Groups (LRGs) were established along the Preferred Route Option, covering the full extent of the project. The groups serve as an ongoing form of engagement with locally elected representatives and included ward and parish councillors, and representatives from EWR Co. They offer an open forum for discussions – a place to share information, ask questions, cover any concerns people might have and get answers. They also allow us to give project updates and understand details of all relevant local issues.

The groups are just one of the ways local communities can connect with our team through their representatives during all stages of the project, including planning, construction and operation of the railway. The groups facilitate discussion on issues relevant to their respective local communities.

As time progressed, some of the groups were merged to form fifteen groups. Meetings were held quarterly where possible, resulting in seven rounds of meetings by the end of 2024, exclusive of the Bedfordshire Group, which met more frequently, with sixteen meetings in total.

In early 2025, in line with the route sections presented at the non-statutory consultation, the LRGs were refined to create new Enhanced LRGs and the Community LRG.

LRG archives

Enhanced LRGs

In early 2025 the structure of the LRGs was refined based on the new red line boundary and the route sections within it that were presented at the non-statutory consultation.

This restructuring will allow us to enhance our engagement with the community representatives along the route and support our plans for engagement through to the Development Consent Order (DCO) application. It will also ensure that your voices are heard throughout the development process.

There are nine newly established groups, which we are calling 'Enhanced LRGs'.

The Enhanced LRGs are made up of those wards and parishes which fall within the red line boundary. This includes land that would need to be permanently acquired, and land that would be used temporarily for construction. These will enable more focused and effective communication and collaboration between EWR Co and local stakeholders.

Community LRG

Any wards and parishes that were part of the previous LRG structure that do not fall within the red line boundary will be part of the Community LRG.

The Community LRG has been created so that its members can remain informed about the project and part of the conversation, through:

Webinars – these will be delivered twice a year to update the Community LRG on key project updates and wider engagement such as community conversations.
Community Conversations events – these will provide an opportunity to have meaningful conversations with us about the project through Community Conversations events
Community Parish and Ward Membership List
Route Wide Map

LRG Update Webinar

We held a webinar on 26 March for all Enhanced and Community LRG members, to provide an update on the work that has been carried out since the close of our last consultation, and an overview of the new structure of the LRGs moving forwards.

The webinar recording, slides, meeting summary and Q&A document answering questions received during the meeting can be seen by clicking on the links below:

Recording | Slides | Q&A | Webinar summary note

Non-Statutory Consultation Design Feedback Sessions

To complete some of the work for EWR, we will need to apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO). This order would grant consent to build the new railway between Bedford and Cambridge, as well as other upgrades between Oxford and Bedford to deliver the full proposed EWR service. As part of the DCO process, we consulted with relevant ward and parish councillors in areas where the proposed development may be located. 

We held a number of workshop sessions to further enhance attendees understanding of the rationale behind the latest design and work through any comments and concerns as we refine our proposals. The feedback provided during these workshops, as well as formal feedback received through the non-statutory consultation and next year’s statutory consultation, will be considered as we develop the design. 

We plan to hold further sessions alongside key milestones in the development of the DCO application, starting at non-statutory consultation and running at intervals through to the submission of the application. 

We look forward to continuing to work with you as a key project stakeholder as the design progresses.   