East West Railway Company (EWR Co), the company responsible for delivering the new Oxford to Cambridge railway connection, has launched a new Community Hub on their website, encouraging local residents to get involved in how their new railway is developed.
The Community Hub provides a new platform where people can ask questions, take part in surveys and discussions, and access information relating to their local area. There are clear labels to inform Community Hub users how their information and feedback will be used. The Community Hub will host a rolling programme of activity, inspiring local communities to get involved with all aspects of developing sustainable transport in their region. It launches this week with four fantastic features, encouraging people to:
- Improve journeys for everyone by telling the EWR Co Customer Experience team their best and worst travel experiences so EWR Co can get it right from the start
- Feed into a definitive history of the Varsity Line by sharing memories about the line which once ran from Oxford to Cambridge
- Learn about Preferred Route Option between Bedford and Cambridge, by exploring the dedicated document library
- Help communities get better access to information by filling out a quick survey on what communications methods they like to use – and what doesn’t work!
In its drive to put community right at the heart of the new East West Rail connection, East West Railway Company has welcomed Claire Keith-Anderson to the team, filling a new role as Community Engagement Manager. Claire will develop the new online hub and seek to connect in innovative ways with local people, particularly communities who may not have traditionally got involved with the development of the new railway so far. She said:
“We’re looking forward to welcoming residents all the way from Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Cambridge and the communities in between, to this new online space; and we want everyone to play a part in bringing forward a new sustainable railway connection that will help to secure the future prosperity of the whole area.
“Over the past few months, due to Covid, we haven’t been able to be out and about, talking face-to-face with local people. I know this has been disappointing for our team, so we’ve invested our time and energy thinking about ways to reach out and listen to communities across the area whatever else is going on in the world. The Hub is a really innovative and exciting place for people to share information and ideas.“
The Community Hub has been set up in advance of public consultations planned for early 2021, giving communities a one-stop-shop on the East West Rail project. As well as the new online platform – communityhub.eastwestrail.co.uk - local residents can also contact East West Railway Company at any time:
Online: www.eastwestrail.co.uk
By email: [email protected]
By phone: 0330 1340067
By post: FREEPOST East West Rail
This article featured in the Autumn edition of our quarterly newsletter, Keeping you Connected. You can read the full newsletter here.
Learn more about the Community Hub