East West Rail to hold community events to discuss latest design proposals   

East West Railway Company (EWR Co) has announced a series of community events giving people the chance to find out more about the latest designs for the railway.  

Starting this month, a series of design update events are being held across the planned line of route which will connect Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.  

In November last year, the company published its You Said, We Did Report, which outlined how feedback has helped shape the latest designs. Experts from East West Rail will be on hand to explain the designs which were published in the You Said, We Did Report and answer questions about the proposals.  

These events precede a route-wide consultation which will be held later this year. A formal application – a Development Consent Order - to build the railway will then be submitted in 2027, as planned.   

David Hughes, CEO, East West Railway Company, said: “We are looking forward to seeing and chatting to as many people as possible about how our designs have evolved. At the end of last year, we announced more than 80 changes that had been made as a direct result of feedback previously received, so we’re looking forward to being able to discuss these at the upcoming events. 

“We are committed to working closely with local communities and listening to their views, and these events provide the opportunity for local people to find out more about the plans we published last year.”  

The events are being held in communities where feedback from the public and stakeholders has delivered the biggest changes to the designs for the railway. These events are just the latest part of community engagement plans, alongside a programme of community pop-ups that have also recently started.   

Design Update Events 2026  

Date  

Time  

Location  

Wednesday 28 January  

2pm-7pm  

South Central Institute of Technology, Selwyn Grove, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK3 6DR  

  

Saturday 31 January  

12pm-5pm  

Queensway Methodist Church, Queensway, Fenny Stratford, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 2HB  

  

Thursday 12 February  

3pm-8pm  

Cauldwell Community Centre, Althorpe Street, Bedford MK42 9HF  

  

Saturday 14 February  

 

Bedford (venue & timings TBC ) 

Friday 27 February  

2pm-7pm  

Kingsmere Community Centre, Whitelands Way, Bicester OX26 1EG  

  

Saturday 28 February  

12pm-5pm  

Bicester Methodist Church, Bell Lane, Bicester OX26 6JQ  

Thursday 5 March   

2pm-7pm  

St Andrew’s Church, Coldhams Lane, Cambridge CB1 3JS  

  

Saturday 7 March  

12pm-5pm  

Mill Road Community Centre, Hazell Street, Cambridge CB1 2GN  

  

Events will also take place in South Cambridgeshire and Tempsford. More details will follow soon.   

 

Notes to Editors  
  

  

Media contacts    

  • 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.