More than 3,100 people attended events for East West Railway Company’s last route-wide consultation on the project.
Over 5,000 feedback forms have also been received during the consultation which was held between 14 April and 9 June 2026.
The 16 events – both in-person and online – allowed people to learn about updated plans and provide feedback on the latest designs for the project which will connect Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.
Feedback from the consultation will be taken into account as designs for the project are finalised before a Development Consent Order (DCO) application to build the railway is submitted in 2027.
The consultation attracted strong engagement:
- More than 3,100 people attended consultation events
- More than 5,000 feedback forms have been received
- More than 47,000 website consultation page views have been made
- Over 6,300 interactive map views have been registered
- More than 1,200 visits have been made to the virtual consultation room
- More than 9 million views have been made to EWR Co’s Facebook page
- EWR Co’s Instagram page generated over 3 million views
- EWR Co’s YouTube channel received more than 3 million views.
At the consultation events people were able to discuss the updated proposals with members of EWR Co’s team and see the latest designs and route section animations. There were also three separate online webinars which people could join and ask questions.
Key design updates for EWR include an accelerated construction programme to deliver the benefits of the railway to communities earlier and the delivery of up to five trains an hour, along with five-car, rather than four-car, trains due to increased demand expected as a result of the new Universal resort being built.
David Hughes, CEO, EWR Co, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to attend our consultation events, join our webinars, explore the information online and share their views with us – we really value the time and thought people have put into their feedback to help us shape the future of East West Rail.
“This consultation was an important opportunity to share our latest designs, including proposals to accelerate construction and increase train capacity, and to hear directly from communities about what matters most to them.
“East West Rail will enable quicker journeys, reduce congestion, boost connectivity and job opportunities, as well as support new housing and drive economic growth. We will use this feedback to help finalise our design before we submit a Development Consent Order next year to build this vital railway and deliver these huge benefits.”
Feedback from the consultation will be published in the autumn in a summary report outlining main themes received during the consultation.
For more information about East West Rail, please visit the home page or contact our helpdesk at contact@eastwestrail.co.uk or call 0330 134 0067.
0113 2082620