Join the East West Rail consultation events to learn and share your thoughts on the project
St Neots: The consultation events for East West Rail are back in action after the holidays. Since the third round of consultations kicked off on November 14, over 3,100 folks have shown up, and more than 2,200 feedback forms have been filled out. Plus, a virtual consultation room has seen over 5,000 views from around 1,700 users.
So, if you’re interested, here are the upcoming events: On January 7, from 2-7 PM, head to St Neots Town Football Club. Then, on January 9, there’s an online webinar from 10 AM to noon. After that, on January 10, you can visit Comberton Village Hall from 2-7 PM. Bletchley Masonic Centre will host an event on January 15, and Woburn Sands will have one on January 17. Finally, on January 18, The Clayton Hotel in Cambridge will be open from 12-5 PM, and St Andrew’s Church in Cherry Hinton will wrap things up on January 21 from 2-7 PM.
This new rail line is set to connect Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford, and Cambridge, with new stations planned for Tempsford and Cambourne. Attendees can chat with the East West Rail team and check out the updated designs.
The latest proposals include new infrastructure and design plans for the railway stretch between Bedford and Cambridge, featuring tunnels under the A428 and essential upgrades for the existing line between Oxford and Bedford.
David Hughes, the CEO of EWR Co, mentioned that the events have attracted over 3,000 attendees eager to learn about the project and share their thoughts. He’s enjoyed discussing the benefits of the new rail line and hearing feedback as the project gains traction, with passenger services between Oxford and Bletchley expected to start later this year.
There’s a lot of support for East West Rail, and things are looking more certain now. Hughes encourages everyone to attend one of the remaining events to share their views and help refine the designs for the upcoming statutory consultation.
The government has committed to fully delivering East West Rail in the 2024 Autumn Budget. You can check out the main consultation document and fill out a feedback form at the East West Rail website.
