East West Rail comes another step closer as the East West Railway Company (EWR Co) encourages people from towns and villages between Oxford, Bedford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge to take part in the next phase of public consultation.
The comments and ideas received will feed into the design, construction and operation of this once in a generation rail scheme, which could provide people from communities across the area with new connections to family, friends, jobs, education and leisure activities
Key areas of focus for the consultation, launched on 31 March 2021 include:
How Oxford Station and its supporting infrastructure could be improved – including Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village stations
Options for avoiding lengthy periods of delay at the London Road level crossing, Bicester
How to ensure that communities around Bletchley and the Marston Vale Line would get the most from significant investment in their railway line
Options for new stations at Bedford and Bedford St Johns and their supporting infrastructure
Five route alignment options for the section of East West Rail between Bedford and Cambridge, including an emerging preference for a station at Cambourne North
Plans for improving customer experience through better station design and more timely travel information
East West Railway Company Chief Executive, Simon Blanchflower CBE said: “This rail link is vital to the future prosperity of the region so we ask people to encourage their friends, relatives and colleagues to get involved in the consultation so they can help us to bring the right connections to all of the communities who live and work in the Oxford Cambridge Arc.
“In developing these proposals, our team has focused on how we can minimise disruption to local communities and looked for ways we can protect and enhance the local environment. Now it’s time for communities to share their valuable local knowledge and ideas with us.”
Martin Tugwell, speaking on behalf of the East West Rail Consortium, which established the original case for the project to government, said: “The consultation is another important milestone towards delivering East West Rail, a project which continues to enjoy strong strategic support from the local authorities which make up the Consortium. The project will transform public transport in the region, boosting our economy and providing an attractive alternative to the car.
“We encourage everyone to have their say regarding the consultation proposals in order to help shape the details of the scheme and ensure it meets the needs of the communities it serves. As a Consortium we will continue to make the case for delivery of East West Rail in full, including the core section between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes, and to the east of Cambridge on to Norwich and Ipswich.”
East West Railway Company will follow this launch by mailing a summary of the consultation to 270,000 addresses along the route and will be holding a series of online events for communities and stakeholders.
There will be community events, live-chat sessions with EWR Co’s team of experts and an interactive virtual consultation room, launching on 12th April.
East West Railway Company will be publishing proposals for a discretionary purchase scheme – the Need to Sell Scheme – setting out how the company would intend to support people whose sale of their home or small business may be directly affected by proposals set out in an announcement of a preferred route alignment. These proposals are also being consulted on.
The consultation launch follows the recent £760 million investment announcement by Government, which will fund construction of the East West Rail line between Oxford and Bletchley/Milton Keynes and is the first time the entire route has been drawn together in a single consultation.
Photo credit: East West Rail
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