East West Rail meets ministers to discuss accelerating infrastructure delivery

East West Railway Company (EWR Co) joined key infrastructure providers this week to discuss with Government how the new Planning and Infrastructure Act will help deliver critical infrastructure more quickly and improve public engagement during the planning process.

The new Act became law just before Christmas and aims to streamline the planning system, accelerating the construction of new railways, roads, homes and other pieces of major infrastructure. 

East West Rail is set to deliver new rail infrastructure between Oxford and Cambridge, improving connectivity through Milton Keynes and Bedford, and creating a regional corridor aimed to be at the centre of UK economic growth. 

Joining EWR Co in the meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Housing Secretary, were Water UK, National Grid and Renewable UK amongst others. 

For East West Rail, the new Act will mean that the economic and social benefits of the new railway will be felt by communities sooner due to the more streamlined planning system. Crucially, the new legislation will also improve the way major projects such as East West Rail engage with the public during the planning process – enabling EWR Co to deliver more localised targeted engagement with communities and key stakeholders as the designs for the railway develop.

As a result, East West Rail is launching a series of Design Update Sessions which begin this week, where specific proposals are being discussed with communities in a more targeted, localised approach. 

The new legislation also removes the requirement for a Statutory Consultation requirement before submitting an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to build the railway. However, EWR Co will still carry out a full route-wide consultation this Spring as planned, but this will now be a non-statutory consultation informed by the changes in the new Act. 

Will Gallagher, Chief Strategy Officer at EWR Co who attended the meeting, said: “We had a really productive discussion about how we implement the new Planning and Infrastructure Act to maximise its benefits - both to speed up the opening of EWR by making the planning process simpler and quicker, and also to make sure local communities get high quality ongoing engagement rather than just a single statutory consultation. 

“As EWR is one of the first projects to operate under the new legislation, ministers were keen to hear about our progress.”

David Hughes, CEO, EWR Co, said: “By streamlining processes while strengthening early, locally focused consultation, the planning reforms will help ensure that people’s voices shape the railway as it develops. This more responsive framework supports better decision-making, builds trust, and ultimately helps deliver the benefits of East West Rail more effectively.” 

The Design Update Sessions run from this month until March, with more details on the Spring Consultation to follow. EWR Co intends to submit its Development Consent Order in 2027, as planned. 

Design Update Sessions 2026 

Notes to Editors 

Organisations attending the infrastructure roundtable were:

East West Railway Company

Skansa
Mott Macdonald
Scottish Power
Balfour Beatty
Renewable UK
National Infrastructure Planning Association
Energy UK
National Grid
Mace
Water UK
Institution of Civil Engineers
Arup
HSF Kramer

Guide to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill     

You Said, We Did – Autumn Update report  

Media contacts   

• Press office email: [email protected]   

• Press office phone: 0330 134 0053      

About the East West Rail Project   

The East West Rail Project is a once in a generation opportunity to connect people and businesses between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge through a new direct rail line. It is a railway with community at its heart that will open up new journeys, cut travel times, and ease congestion on local roads. The route will connect people to the things and places that matter, bringing local benefit and sustainable growth by unlocking the social and economic potential of the area.     

The East West Rail Project will be delivered in different phases. Network Rail was responsible for developing the first part of the first phase between Oxford and Milton Keynes, connecting Oxford with Bicester before the East West Rail Company (EWR co) was set up. Between 2018 and 2024, EWR Co and Network Rail partnered in a construction alliance, East West Rail Alliance, to complete the infrastructure to Bletchley. Chiltern Railways has taken over as the operator of this section and are working to start passenger services as soon as possible.   

To deliver the railway onwards from Bletchley to Bedford and Cambridge, a new railway needs to be constructed between Bedford and Cambridge and associated works are needed between Oxford and Bedford to upgrade and refurbish the existing railway infrastructure. EWR Co proposes to make an application to the Secretary of State for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to permit the construction and operation of these works.     

About the East West Railway Company     

The East West Railway Company (EWR Co) is a non-departmental public body with limited company status set up by the Secretary of State for Transport in 2017 to deliver the East West Rail (EWR) Project.      

The corridor, which runs from Oxford through Milton Keynes and Bedford to Cambridge, is an economic artery that makes the UK a global leader in life sciences, technology and innovation, with the potential to create jobs, drive growth and attract investment for the entire country. EWR Co’s ambition is to unlock the full potential of this region that is vital to keeping the UK globally competitive in a way that considers the environment and offers value for taxpayers.