East West Rail reveals latest updated design plans as public consultation opens  

• Preference for discontinuous electrification with hybrid battery-electric trains 
• Station upgrade plans include improved parking and accessibility 
• People encouraged to share views on latest designs during 10-week consultation    

East West Railway Company (EWR Co) has today launched a public consultation on its updated plans for its rail project connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.  

Passenger services are due to start along the first stage of East West Rail (EWR) between Oxford and Bletchley in 2025, with track all laid and line testing underway on this section.    

The updated proposals, which can be viewed during the third non-statutory public consultation on EWR, contain revised infrastructure and design plans for a new stretch of railway between Bedford and Cambridge, plus essential railway improvement works to upgrade the existing railway between Oxford and Bedford.   

The plans have been updated following feedback at our previous non-statutory consultation and further technical design work. The consultation comes after the Government committed to delivering EWR in full in last month’s Budget.    

East West Rail will unlock access to jobs and space for businesses to grow, regenerate town centres, improve connectivity across the region and the rest of the UK, and support new affordable housing.  

The updated proposals include:   

• Our preference for green traction power in the form of discontinuous electrification with hybrid battery-electric trains– as well as the environmental benefits such as reducing carbon emissions, discontinuous electrification would mean overhead lines would only need to be installed along some sections of the route, which would reduce disruption during construction and potentially decrease visual impacts in more sensitive locations along the new railway. This option would also cost less than full electrification, reducing the need to alter current structures.  
• Station upgrades - this includes relocating Bedford St Johns station to the west to better serve Bedford Hospital and providing alternative car parking for staff, patients and visitors. We would also improve Bedford station by building a new station plaza, extra platforms, footbridges and providing replacement car parking, all to give passengers the best possible experience. We are also planning upgrades to Cambridge station and facilities to accommodate four passenger trains per hour, including two new railway tracks next to the West Anglia Main Line from Shepreth Junction to Cambridge Station, a new platform, platform extensions, footbridges and building upgrades. Potential further station enhancements are earmarked for Oxford, Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village and Bletchley stations, including to parking facilities to meet future demand.
• Two options for station options/service patterns for retaining/consolidating stations on the Marston Vale Line – to provide a three-fold increase in services and reduce journey times, options include retaining existing stations in their current locations or consolidating and delivering new stations.
• A new station at Tempsford– we have designed two options for a new station at Tempsford .
• A new station at Cambourne– we are planning a new station at Cambourne to make it easier and quicker for people to travel into Cambridge. It would also help to bring more people within commuting distance of new jobs in the region, reduce congestion and support the future growth of the town.  
• A tunnel beneath the A428 and Bourn Airfield development– following public feedback and to reduce the environmental impact of the railway, we plan to build a ‘cut and cover’ tunnel beneath the A428, the proposed Bourn Airfield development and Highfields Road, with associated temporary diversion of the A428 and other local roads.
• A tunnel through Chapel Hill, near Haslingfield- this would avoid having to construct a very large cutting, which would require significant construction works and could affect the flight paths of Barbastelle bats which live in the area .
• Work to reduce the environmental and construction impacts of our route design– this includes plans to improve the environment in line with our commitment to delivering 10% biodiversity net gain across the whole route.
• Train service hours of operation - we anticipate that passenger services would run between 6am and midnight from Monday to Thursday, between 6am to 1am on Friday and Saturday, and between 7am to 11pm on Sunday. 

David Hughes, CEO, EWR Co, said: “East West Rail will improve people’s everyday lives by creating more job opportunities, easier and quicker ways to get to work and enjoy days out, and more affordable places to live, while crucially boosting economic growth both across the route and the entire country.  

“This is why I’m excited to present our updated proposals, which include electrification to reflect our commitment to running a net zero carbon railway.    

“Local authorities and businesses have been calling for this railway for three decades and our revised plans aim to maximise the benefits of the project.  

“Our updated proposals have been influenced by the huge number of conversations we’ve had with local people and businesses, and thousands of responses we have had to our last public consultation. I encourage people to read our updated proposals in this consultation, attend one of the public events across the route and share your views to help us refine our designs further so East West Rail can best serve its local communities.” 

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “East West Rail will boost access to education and business opportunities while unlocking economic growth and productivity right across the region, including Cambridge’s world-leading life science cluster.    

“With these proposals, passengers can get ready for more frequent, faster and greener journeys through an electrified line, demonstrating our drive to deliver infrastructure that is truly fit for the future.   

“This consultation marks a significant moment for the project, offering the public an exciting opportunity to shape the development of this transformational line. I encourage local residents and businesses to get involved and have their say.” 

Cllr Liz Leffman, Chair of England’s Economic Heartland, the sub-national transport body for the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge region, said: “East West Rail will transform the way people can sustainably access jobs, skills, leisure and housing across the region. Our world class universities, science parks and knowledge-intensive businesses will finally be linked together: fuelling innovation, attracting inward investment, creating prosperity and boosting economic growth.   

“The launch of this consultation represents a significant milestone for a project the region has campaigned for over several decades. It is crucial that people now respond to the proposals. We must ensure the scheme to be delivered is planned, built and operated in a way which leaves the best possible legacy for our communities, businesses, environment and wider transport system.”    

The main consultation document can be viewed on our consultation page (from 00.01, Nov 14). This page contains the Consultation Feedback Form, which we encourage people to complete to share their views on the project, alongside other supporting documents - these include a Technical Report, which provides further information about how we have developed our designs; an Environmental Update Report and a Transport Update Report, which contain preliminary information about the likely effects of our proposals, and maps, plans and visualisations, which show the proposed route alignment and features, the land that would be required for the project, and illustrations of what some of the main features of the railway could look like.     

The non-statutory consultation aims to obtain feedback on the early designs, including areas where we are still considering options. Feedback from the consultation will be taken into account as the designs are further developed and preferred options chosen.    

The consultation will run for 10 weeks from 14 November 2024 to 24 January 2025. A series of public drop-in and online events are being held across the route to provide opportunities to meet the EWR Co team and find out more about the updated proposals.*   

 For more information about the consultation and how to get involved, please visit our consultation page or contact our helpdesk at [email protected]  

For information and feedback from our previous consultation in 2021, see below:   
https://eastwestrail.co.uk/consultationfeedbackreport  

Ends  

Media assets:  

Video on understanding the non-statutory consultation and the DCO process  

Video on traction    

Notes to Editors:  

• The purpose of this non-statutory consultation is to obtain feedback on the early designs, including areas where are considering options. Feedback will be taken into account as we develop the designs in more detail and select preferred options. Feedback will also be used to review potential opportunities and inform plans to mitigate the impacts of the project. 
• A statutory consultation will then be carried out where we will present more detailed information about the proposed infrastructure, its likely environmental impacts and the measures and strategies we are developing to mitigate those impacts. Feedback from the statutory consultation will be taken into account before we finalise our proposals and submit our application for a Development Consent Order, which if approved, would grant consent to build the new railway between Bedford and Cambridge, as well as the other upgrades between Oxford and Bedford to deliver the full proposed EWR service. 

 *Consultation events are as follows:  

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 three Connection Stages:        

• Connection Stage One: Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes     
• Connection Stage Two: Oxford to Bedford     
• Connection Stage Three: Oxford to Cambridge          

Network Rail was responsible for developing the first part of Connection Stage One, connecting Oxford with Bicester before the East West Rail Company (EWR Co) was set up. Since 2018, EWR Co and Network Rail have partnered in a construction alliance, East West Rail Alliance, to complete Connection Stage One. EWR Co and Network Rail are acting as the Department for Transport’s joint sponsors.         

To deliver Connection Stage 2, work is ongoing to bring forward services between Oxford and Bedford from the end of the decade. Planning consent for these works was also granted by the Transport and Works Act order in 2020.     

 Connection Stage 3 would complete East West Rail and enable passenger services to operate between Oxford and Cambridge via Bletchley and Bedford. To complete this work, we will need to apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO), which would grant consent to build the new railway between Bedford and Cambridge, as well as the other upgrades between Oxford and Bedford to deliver the full proposed EWR service.     

About 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.        

 EWR Co aims to bring fresh thinking to the Project, challenging the industry status quo, leading to more efficient and cost-effective project delivery and better outcomes for the communities in and around the 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.