Consultation 2026 FAQs

East West Rail is a new rail link that would connect communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge by offering a faster, more convenient and more sustainable option for getting around the region.  

For more than 30 years, councillors and business leaders from across the region have been calling to restore a rail link connecting Oxford and Cambridge – and East West Rail is a once in a generation opportunity to do so in the region by:  

Upgrading the existing railway between Oxford and Bedford

Constructing a new railway between Bedford and Cambridge

The Department for Transport created the East West Railway Company (EWR Co) in 2018 to develop plans for a new railway between Oxford and Cambridge. EWR Co is responsible for developing, designing and delivering the new railway. 

People living and working in communities along the route would experience the benefits of East West Rail in many different ways. From stronger local economies to easier everyday journeys and more connected places, the strategic aims of the project could help address longstanding challenges and support a better future for the region.  

 East West Rail would: 

Connect communities with better east-west rail links, improving journey times and convenience compared to travelling by road

Strengthen links with existing north-south routes across the national rail network, opening up the wider UK transport network

Expand access to jobs and skills, allowing businesses to recruit from a wider labour market and creating more employment opportunities

Support investment and economic growth in both the region and on a national scale

Enable new homes and growing towns to be well-connected with modern transport connections

Offer a sustainable alternative to road travel, allowing people to make better transport choices

Take lorries off local roads by supporting rail freight as an essential part of the UK’s supply chain

We’re proposing a core East West Rail service of four trains per hour across the whole route, with a possible additional fifth train per hour operating during the busiest hours – or potentially over a longer period if required. This additional train could also be used to enable service extensions to and from locations on the wider rail network beyond the East West Rail route.  

To support the increased demand, we’re also considering operating longer trains of up to five carriages.  

The proposed East West Rail services are:  

Two Oxford-Milton Keynes services in each direction per hour

Two Oxford-Cambridge East services in each direction per hour

Two Bletchley-Cambridge services in each direction per hour

One additional service, which could support potential service extensions beyond the East West Rail route

East West Rail’s main purpose is to be a passenger service. However, some freight services already run on some sections of our route, and the government has asked us to consider how we can maintain these and plan for increased future freight demand to enable wider economic growth. These considerations need to be balanced against what level of investment would be needed and the impact to local communities.  

We have made provision for one freight path per hour per direction across the whole of the East West Rail route. Our current proposals (without additional investment beyond the project) would allow for:  

Up to one freight train per hour in each direction between Oxford and Bletchley

Up to one freight train every two hours in each direction between Bletchley and Bedford

Around two freight trains in each direction each day east of Bedford

These paths enable freight that use parts of the route today to continue to operate 

More information can be found in the Our approach to freight factsheet and in chapter 4 of the consultation brochure. 

It has not yet been decided who would operate services on the full East West Rail route, however, we expect this to be Great British Railways in line with the government’s plans to bring passenger services back into public ownership.

In March 2025, the Transport Secretary announced that Chiltern Railways will operate services on the first section of East West Rail, which uses the existing railway between Oxford and Bletchley/Milton Keynes Central. You can find the announcement here. 

In March 2026, it was announced that Chiltern Railways will be brought into public ownership on 20 September 2026, ahead of the establishment of Great British Railways (GBR). GBR will integrate most train services and railway maintenance in Great Britain within a single organisation.  

Freight and charter services on the first section of East West Rail, using the existing railway between Oxford and Bletchley and Milton Keynes Central, commenced at the end of 2025. The Department for Transport is continuing to support Chiltern Railways as they work closely with unions and other industry partners to commence passenger services on the route as soon as possible. 

The rest of EWR would be built in stages to better-connect the region as soon as possible. We plan to open the full railway by the mid-to-late 2030s. By this time, the new section of railway between Bedford and Cambridge would have been completed, and all new stations would have been opened. 

We’re accelerating parts of the programme so that communities can experience the benefits even sooner.  

This approach is intended to unlock opportunities for new homes and attract investment and business growth. The accelerated delivery would also provide higher capacity and more frequent services to the new Universal Entertainment Resort Complex as soon as the necessary works are completed. 

By 2030:  

We would start construction of a new station at Tempsford, with platforms on the East Coast Main Line, to serve the proposed new town with north-south train links. This would provide connectivity to Tempsford earlier than originally planned. East West Rail platforms would follow in the mid to late 2030s. We would support increased train capacity from the west to Milton Keynes, where Universal Entertainment Resort Complex plan to run a coach shuttle service to the new resort when it opens. 

By the early 2030s:  

We would upgrade and electrify the Marston Vale Line meaning we could introduce four trains per hour between Oxford and Stewartby. We would construct four modern, fully accessible stations, including a new station at Stewartby to serve the Universal Entertainment Resort Complex and improve Bletchley station. Accelerating this part of the programme means train services would be starting within the first few years of the park opening, in line with expected increase in demand. 

By the mid-2030s: 

We would accelerate the construction of an upgraded station in Bedford, delivering modern facilities and improved connections for both north-south and east-west train services. Once complete, up to four trains per hour would serve Bedford from the west. 

We would provide a new entrance at Cambridge station and deliver early connectivity improvements for passengers ahead of the introduction of East West Rail services. We would also complete the new station at Cambridge East (subject to third-party funding), enabling other services to use the station before East West Rail services start. 

 By the mid to late 2030s:  
 
We plan to open the full railway by the mid-to-late 2030s. By this time the new section of railway between Bedford and Cambridge would have been completed, and all new stations would have been opened. 

In line with the government's commitment to decarbonisation and our ambition for a net-zero carbon passenger railway, we propose to electrify the railway. We confirmed in November 2025 that we’ve decided to use a system known as ‘discontinuous electrification’.  

 Discontinuous electrification means overhead lines would only need to be installed along some sections of the route, meaning less construction would be required. Passenger trains would be powered by onboard batteries along other sections. 

 More information can be found in the Our approach to powering trains factsheet and in chapter 11 of the consultation brochure. 

Our approach to the environment is comprehensive, proactive and embedded in the decisions we make at every stage of the project. Our goal is for the railway and the habitats we create to contribute to wider nature recovery in the area and provide valuable access to wildlife and green space for communities across the region. This is why environmental sustainability considerations are reflected in our project level design principles, helping inform all aspects of our proposals. 

We also want our proposals to respond to and support wider nature ambitions. To do this, we’re working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on their plans for a new national forest in the region. A new national forest would help deliver national renewal for communities, driving economic growth while enhancing nature and bringing more accessible woodland and green space closer to communities. 

As part of our proposals, we’re committed to delivering overall benefits to nature by achieving what is called biodiversity net gain (BNG). BNG means leaving biodiversity in a measurably better state after development than before, including creating more or better-quality habitats. We’ll identify a BNG baseline as part of the surveys we are undertaking, which will help us understand what we need to do to achieve our commitment of 10% BNG across the project. 

You can see more about work we’ve already delivered to achieve biodiversity net gain here.   

We’re listening to and working closely with local community groups, environmental bodies and local highway and planning authorities to assess the potential environmental impacts of our plans on areas such as environmentally important sites and priority habitats. This includes carrying out surveys to increase our understanding of potential impacts on nature and species, which has helped design proposals that avoid environmental impacts, for example by planning the alignment of the railway to avoid sensitive sites and habitats.  

We recognise that we won’t be able to avoid impacts altogether and will continue to explore how best to reduce those impacts by including mitigation measures in our early designs, like noise barriers or bunds; hedgerow improvements or woodland creation; green bridges to allow bats to pass safely from one side of the new railway line to the other; and landscaping areas to create screening, for example by creating new woodland.  

This and other types of mitigation, will continue to be developed between now and when we submit our application for a Development Consent Order.  You can read more in our factsheets and other documentation:   

Environmental Sustainability strategy

Noise and Vibration

Nature

Flood

Landscape and Visual Amenity

Construction Management

More detail is also available in chapter 9 of the consultation brochure.

We recognise that how we construct and build the railway can be a concern for local communities and businesses. We are committed to working hard to reduce, mitigate or - where we can - eliminate disruption for people at every stage of the project, from planning through to day-to-day operations.  

 As part of our Development Consent Order application, we will develop and submit a draft Code of Construction Practice, which will set out a range of mitigation measures and principles which contractors would be required to follow when building the project, including protective measures relating to construction hours, noise and vibration, construction routes and community engagement throughout the construction period.  

More information can be found in the Construction management factsheet and chapter 10 of the consultation brochure. 

We will carry out a full Transport Assessment which will consider the impacts of our project on traffic and transport during the construction period and how the railway may influence daily travel across the area once operational, including walking, wheeling, cycling, bus use and car trips. 

 Our approach is evidence led and shaped by National Highways and local highway authority feedback. It is designed to: 

Minimise disruption during construction

Support sustainable travel choices during operation

Take into account any accessibility requirements

Minimise the risk of congestion in locations where East West Rail could lead to more traffic once the railway is operational

The outcomes of this work will be reported in a Transport Assessment, submitted as part of our Development Consent application.  

Where our modelling shows the railway leads to additional traffic, we will identify appropriate measures such as changes to junctions or road layouts, improvements to walking and cycling routes, or steps to reduce car dependency for station access.  

For construction, we are planning measures to reduce impacts, considering the most appropriate haul routes, and seeking ways to minimise heavy goods vehicle movements where possible. We continue to work with National Highways and local councils to ensure East West Rail does not constrain their future plans for the wider transport network.  

More information can be found in the Our approach to Traffic and Transport factsheet and chapter 10 of the consultation brochure.

We understand that our proposals will have an impact on land and property owners, including local residents and businesses, where there’s a possibility of land or property being required by East West Rail. We want to work closely with those potentially affected, take the time to understand their circumstances, and provide clear information and support throughout the project.   

Landowners who are within the area we need to build and operate the project, known as the draft Order Limits, will have received a letter which includes a proposed Land Use plan. The plans have shading to show how we would need to use the land. The areas shown are illustrative and based on our current designs, which are subject to change.  

Land required for permanent acquisition is shaded pink, land where we need temporary possession and permanent rights and temporary access (for example to access and maintain utilities) is shaded blue and land we need to use temporarily is shaded green.  

Where we are proposing environmental mitigation or carrying out works that affect existing highways, private accesses and Public Rights of Way this is shown as permanent acquisition on our land use plans to ensure we can deliver the works. 

We will work with impacted landowners to understand potential impacts and discuss the appropriate ownership of these areas by agreement. We will ensure that access to landowners' retained land is maintained at all times. Our consultation brochure includes information on potential impacts and proposed mitigation on Public Rights of Way, highways and private access roads.  

We’ve allocated case managers to land and property owners to ensure those affected by our plans know who to reach out to with their concerns and questions. Each case manager is building relationships with affected land and property owners as part of an ongoing engagement programme.  

We’re also keeping our land ownership records updated using HM Land Registry data, land interest questionnaires, landowner meetings and site visits. This is an essential part of the project development process for projects like East West Rail, as this helps to identify who owns, occupies and uses land that may be affected by the railway – and it means we can keep people fully informed about our proposals and the planning process. 

The Secretary of State for Transport has previously issued safeguarding directions for East West Rail, and the safeguarded area will be updated when design work has advanced to confirm changes to the project boundary.  

The safeguarding directions mean that local planning authorities must consult us about relevant planning applications for development within the safeguarded area that could conflict with the railway. This allows us to comment on particular conflicts and suggest measures that could be taken to resolve them and, where possible, allow development to go ahead.  

As well as helping to protect the land needed for our proposals, the safeguarding directions also mean that statutory blight provisions are available. If you own and occupy a property in the safeguarded area, you may be eligible. 

For more information on land and property, including support for land and property owners, safeguarding land, the Need to Sell (NTS) Property Scheme and further guidance, please visit our land and property page here.

Our assessment of noise and vibration effects is ongoing and the results will be reported in the Environmental Statement (ES) submitted as part of our Development Consent Order application. The ES will identify the significant noise effects during construction and operation of the railway. It will also identify measures to mitigate the significant effects.  

Our noise assessment will follow the policy and guidance set out in the Noise Policy Statement for England 2010 (as described in our EIA Scoping Report). This involves identifying the noise levels which in specific contexts could have adverse effects on health and quality of life.  

More information can be found in the Noise and Vibration factsheet and chapter 9 of the consultation brochure.

We last published a cost update in 2024, which you can find in the Cost factsheet at eastwestrail.co.uk/consultation2024. We are now updating our costs to reflect the design updates included in this consultation which have been shaped by feedback and ongoing design development. These updates also factor in the latest information on construction industry inflation, additional detail provided by utility companies and emerging estimates for land and property needed to construct the scheme. Following consultation, we expect to publish further cost information before we submit the DCO, as our design is finalised.

As part of our plans to better connect communities and businesses in the region, we’re proposing improvements to local transport networks so that people can reach their local stations safely and conveniently.  

 Good door-to-door connectivity means giving people more choice in how they travel to and from the station. To achieve this, we’re considering the whole journey people want to make – not just the part taken by train. Our station designs and wider proposals support access by walking, wheeling and cycling (collectively referred to as active travel), as well as by bus, car and other forms of transport. 

 More information can be found in chapter 8 of the consultation brochure. 

Active travel is a key component of door-to-door connectivity. For many journeys, walking, wheeling and cycling on safe, direct paths are often the most practical ways of reaching a station. These also have great health benefits and reduce congestion and pollution on local roads by turning what could be a car trip into a short walk or ride. 

 We want to make walking, wheeling and cycling attractive, obvious choices for accessing stations by providing safe and direct routes that connect stations with nearby communities, both those which exist now and new ones in the future.  

For new stations, we’re designing direct, well-lit paths, as well as secure cycle parking, and clear information so people don’t have to cross awkward junctions or walk along narrow verges. At existing stations, we plan to upgrade existing paths, improve signage and wayfinding, and increase the availability of secure cycle parking.  

In addition to improving access to stations, active travel plays an important role in managing the impacts of the railway on local connectivity. In some locations, new sections of railway may affect existing footpaths, equestrian routes, or public rights of way – creating new barriers between communities and facilities. Where this occurs, we’re committed to providing appropriate diversions or replacement routes, ensuring people can still move around safely and conveniently.  
 
More information can be found in chapter 8 of the consultation brochure. 

To design, deliver and operate an inclusive railway, we are embedding a range of equality, diversity and inclusion best practice measures into our assessments and decision making.  

We will prepare and submit an Equality Impact Assessment as part of our application for a Development Consent Order. This is a tool that will help us to understand and assess the likely effects of our proposals on people who are protected under the Equality Act.  

We are taking a human-centred approach to design so that we develop our scheme with the passengers who are going to use it at the front of our minds. That’s why we launched an Accessibility Advisory Panel early in the design process to meet regularly with local people who have lived experiences of disability to help us understand barriers to travel and identify opportunities for more inclusive travel.  

More information can be found in the Accessibility and inclusion factsheet. 

Since our previous consultation, we have collaborated with other major projects to share survey data and coordinate our mitigation proposals.  

We’re working with National Highways to coordinate our proposals with the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvement scheme. For example, new shared-use paths in Cambourne associated with the highway scheme provide an opportunity to provide safe, direct and convenient connections into Cambourne station, maximising the value of parallel investment and reducing the need for standalone interventions.  

 In Tempsford, we’ve created an extension to the A421 dual carriageway’s proposals for a mammal crossing supported by hedgerow planting to form a wildlife corridor that runs from a point east of the A421 dual carriageway across to the Great River Ouse. We are also working to ensure our proposals include active travel facilities, car parks, bus stops and pick-up/drop off facilities integrated with a potential new town centre.  

 We’re working closely with local councils, developers and other transport bodies to integrate our proposals with wider local travel networks. In some locations, new developments or parallel infrastructure projects would enable additional connections that build on those provided directly by East West Rail.  

In December 2025, the government granted planning permission for the proposed Universal Entertainment Resort Complex in Bedford. This is a major development which would intensify the use of East West Rail services and change travel patterns on the surrounding transport networks.  

 Due to this increase in anticipated demand, we’re now considering operating East West Rail trains of up to five carriages (120 metres long). We’re proposing a number of platform extensions along the route to accommodate longer trains. 

 We’re also proposing a possible additional fifth train per hour operating during the busiest hours – or potentially over a longer period if required. 

Universal Entertainment Resort Complex’s proposals mean we’re also adjusting the sequencing of the railway’s construction and operation. This means that key parts of the route, including upgrades on the Marston Vale Line and the new Stewartby station, would be delivered earlier and would enable the railway to support the expected demand from the resort as soon as it opens. 

 We’ve also changed the proposed location of Stewartby station to a location further north than where we had previously proposed to improve access to the resort, minimise impacts on the Universal Entertainment Resort Complex masterplan and avoid severance of local communities. There have also been changes to level crossings on the Marston Vale Line which are described in the Fenny Stratford to Kempston chapter of the consultation brochure.  

While we are no longer proposing to operate a 1 train per hour service from Oxford - Bedford from 2030, under the revised delivery approach we will deliver an enhanced service of 4 trains per hour by the mid-2030s. This will provide access to the resort earlier than under previous plans. 

 More information can be found in chapter 13 of the consultation brochure. 

All the improvements previously planned to take place under Connection Stage 2 will still happen, but some will now happen more quickly. We've always planned for East West Rail to be built in stages to better connect the region as soon as possible. Now we are accelerating parts of the programme so that communities can experience the benefits even sooner.  

While we are no longer proposing to operate a 1 train per hour service from Oxford - Bedford from 2030, under the revised delivery approach we will deliver an enhanced service of 4 trains per hour by the mid-2030s, earlier than under previous plans.

Since our previous consultation, we’ve carried out a range of activities to further develop our plans, including:  

Carefully considering all comments received

Undertaking further studies and surveys – for example, assessing traffic and environmental impacts

Continuing engagement with affected parties and statutory bodies, such as local councils and public service providers

Working with landowners to understand their concerns and mitigate or remove the impacts of the project wherever possible

We published a consultation update in May 2025, providing an overview of how the 2024 consultation was delivered and highlighting emerging findings. This update can be viewed on our website at eastwestrail.co.uk/consultation2024 

In November 2025, we then published:  

You Said, We Did Autumn Update, outlining progress made – including key decisions and changes under consideration, prompted by feedback received, wider technical work and other developments.

Feedback Summary Report, summarising the feedback received

 These documents can both be viewed on our project website at eastwestrail.co.uk/you-said-we-did

Since our You Said, We Did Update, we’ve continued to develop our plans for East West Rail. This work builds on feedback we’ve received and helps us provide more detailed and up to date proposals as part of our upcoming consultation. This includes ongoing work in areas such as: 

Design of the railway and stations: We’ve continued to refine the railway alignment, station layouts and station access, to better reflect the needs of local areas and respond to issues raised previously. 

Environment: We’ve carried out further environmental studies to better understand potential effects on wildlife, landscapes, heritage and local communities to helps us identify where impacts can be avoided, reduced or managed as the design develops.  

Traffic and transport: We’ve undertaken more detailed work to understand how the railway could affect local roads and travel. This includes accessing stations, managing construction traffic, and how walking, wheeling, cycling and bus connections could be improved. 

Construction: We’ve developed our proposals for how the railway could be built, including potential construction site locations, how materials could be moved, and how construction traffic could be managed to reduce disruption to nearby communities. 

New or updated elements: As our work has progressed, some new or existing elements have been updated in response to feedback, new information from surveys and assessments, or changes in requirements. These updates are reflected in the current consultation proposals. 

All of these updates are set out in full in the 2026 consultation brochure, which presents our latest proposals. 

A public consultation is an opportunity for East West Rail to share our proposals with communities and stakeholders and to invite feedback on them before final decisions are made.  

 Listening to and understanding the views of people living and working in the communities East West Rail would serve is fundamental to the way this new rail connection will be designed, built and operated.   

Public consultation is a key part of developing major infrastructure projects such as East West Rail. The feedback received helps inform the proposals that are ultimately submitted as part of an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO), which is the process used to seek permission to build and operate the railway. 

East West Rail has engaged with communities and stakeholders over a number of years through multiple rounds of consultation and ongoing engagement. At each stage, we have published reports explaining the feedback we received and how it has been considered as the design has developed. Information about previous consultations is available on our website at eastwestrail.co.uk/previous-consultations. 

All feedback received during consultation plays an important role in shaping the project. Responses are carefully considered alongside technical, environmental and operational assessments as proposals continue to be refined. We will consider all consultation feedback before finalising our proposals and submitting our application for a Development Consent Order.

This is the fourth public consultation on East West Rail, following on from our consultation on route options held in 2019, route alignment options in 2021 and updated proposals and emerging designs in 2024.  

We’re holding this consultation to ask for your views on our updated proposals, particularly on elements which are new or have changed significantly since our previous consultation.  

The consultation will run from 14 April to 9 June 2026. This consultation is intended to be our final consultation before we submit our Development Consent Order (DCO) application.  

Recent changes made through the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 have updated the DCO process to make it simpler and more efficient. One of those changes is the removal of the legal requirement to carry out preapplication consultation. Even though it’s no longer something we must do by law, we think it’s important to still run this route wide consultation to make sure people have the opportunity to review our updated proposals and share feedback before we submit our DCO application. 

It is important that you’re involved in our consultation process as this gives you the opportunity to influence designs and help the project to address local needs and priorities.   

We’ve produced the following consultation materials, available on our website at eastwestrail.co.uk/consultation2026, to give you the information you need to respond to this consultation, including: 

Consultation brochure, providing details of our updated proposals and explaining how you can provide your feedback

Route maps, illustrating the proposed alignment of the railway and its relationship to existing settlements, transport networks, and environmental features

Interactive map, allowing users to explore the proposals online, view location-specific information, and understand how different elements of the project relate to their local area

Flythroughs, illustrating parts of the route

Plans, showing the proposed railway, providing more detailed information about the alignment East West Rail would take and associated infrastructure along the route

A feedback form, available in both printed and online versions, which you can use to submit feedback

Factsheets setting out further information on specific topics, such as our approach to freight, construction, and environmental considerations

We’re also holding a series of in-person consultation events across the route. At each event you can review the updated proposals, talk to members of our team, ask questions and submit your feedback.  

If you can't attend an event in person, our three online events will give you a chance to understand more about our proposals and ask questions. You can also visit our online virtual consultation room to view our materials and respond to the consultation. 
 
You can find information about these events on our project website at eastwestrail.co.uk/consultation2026 

We want as many people as possible to take part in this consultation. It’s important that everyone living in the communities East West Rail would serve can share their views. That’s why key materials are available in accessible formats. 

If you, or someone you know, would like the consultation materials in a different format or language, please email [email protected] or call 0330 134 0067. 

All feedback submitted during the consultation is recorded, reviewed and analysed. 

Responses are grouped and summarised to understand the key issues, concerns and suggestions raised. This feedback is then considered alongside feedback from ongoing engagement, as well as environmental, transport and technical assessments. 

Together, this information helps inform the ongoing design and decision making process for the project. We will take account of all consultation feedback before finalising our proposals and submitting an application for a Development Consent Order.  

After this consultation, we’ll finalise our proposals having considered the feedback received and will submit our Development Consent Order application to the Planning Inspectorate. If the application is accepted for examination, it will be published and people will be able to register to take part to take part in the examination.  

The Planning Inspectorate will appoint a panel of independent inspectors, known as the Examining Authority, to examine the application. The examination is a structured and transparent process that can last up to six months. During this time, the Examining Authority will review the application documents and other evidence, and will ask written questions and request further information on specific issues as necessary. 

Interested Parties can take part by submitting written representations, responding to questions and, where appropriate, speaking at public hearings. The Examining Authority considers all of this information before preparing a recommendation report for the Secretary of State, who will decide whether to grant development consent.  

More information can be found in the DCO process factsheet and chapter 5 of the consultation brochure.

This consultation is intended to be our final consultation before we submit our Development Consent Order application. It is important that you’re involved in our consultation process as this gives you the opportunity to influence designs and help the project to address local needs and priorities.

We are not consulting on our proposed route alignment as part of this consultation. However, all responses we receive to the consultation will be considered as we finalise our proposals.  

Our preferred alignment for the new section of railway between Bedford and Cambridge was confirmed in the Route Update Announcement in May 2023. This outlined a preference for a route providing connectivity with Bedford town centre and a southern approach into Cambridge, serving the Cambridge Biomedical Campus via the new station at Cambridge South. 

Some feedback to our consultation in 2024 expressed concerns about the proposed route of East West Rail, with respondents expressing their preference for alternative route options. We’ve explained the reasons for our route alignment choices in previous project updates, following non-statutory consultations in 2019 and 2021– more information can be found in our previous consultation feedback documents, which can be found on our website at eastwestrail.co.uk/previous-consultations.

The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (PIA) aims to modernise the planning system to better support the delivery of new critical infrastructure in the UK. It is intended to accelerate and streamline infrastructure development through faster consenting processes involving local communities and other stakeholders. The PIA will remove the duty to consult specific people and organisations, including landowners, local authorities and the community.  

One of the key features of the PIA, in relation to nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), is the streamlining of pre-application consultation requirements. It is intended to provide applicants with more flexibility to develop focussed and effective local engagement. 

Even though it’s no longer something we must do by law, we think it’s important to still run this route-wide consultation to make sure people have the opportunity to review our updated proposals and share feedback before we submit our DCO application. 

More information can be found in our The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 factsheet and chapter 5 of the consultation brochure.

The Design Update Sessions held between January and March 2026 gave communities the chance to find out more about the latest designs for the railway and to speak directly with the project team about how the proposals have evolved since our 2024 consultation. 

These sessions presented information from the You Said, We Did report, published in November 2024, which showed how feedback from earlier consultations has helped shape our design proposals. At the DUS sessions, East West Rail specialists explained those changes, answered questions and listened to views from local communities ahead of the route-wide consultation. 

Feedback raised during the Design Update Sessions helped us understand what matters most to people and informed our ongoing work as the proposals continue to be developed. This feedback will continue to be considered alongside feedback from the public consultation, ongoing engagement and the results of environmental, transport and other assessments.

Although recent changes to the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 mean a statutory consultation is no longer required before submitting our Development Consent Order (DCO) application, we remain committed to meaningful engagement with communities and stakeholders. 

We are holding a public consultation in spring 2026 on our updated proposals and all feedback received will be carefully considered as we finalise our design. 

Alongside this, we have been engaging on an ongoing basis with local communities and key stakeholders, including local authorities, environmental bodies, Network Rail, National Highways and the emergency services. This engagement has helped shape our proposals and will continue as the project develops. 

We are working closely with statutory stakeholders to agree ways of continuous, twoway engagement, ensuring they have genuine opportunities to influence the design and delivery of the project. The 2026 public consultation will sit alongside - and complement - this ongoing engagement programme. 

We continue to work closely with the Local Representatives Groups (LRGs), holding regular quarterly meetings to provide updates and ensure ongoing, two-way communication. Alongside this, we will be collaborating to establish a sustained programme of engagement that offers opportunities for them to influence the design and delivery of the project.  