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East West Rail Company Limited (EWR) launched their intended last route-wide public consultation on the latest designs for East West Rail on Tuesday 14 April.
The eight week consultation is running from 14 April to 9 June 2026 offering communities along the route an opportunity to have their say on the latest plans and help shape the design of the railway before a Development Consent Order (DCO) is submitted in 2027.
Below is a list of the upcoming in-person and online events.
| Date | Time | Location |
| Monday 20 April 2026 | 6.30pm to 8pm | Online event |
| Thursday 23 April 2026 | 2pm to 7pm | Stuart Memorial Hall Church Street Tempsford SG19 2AW |
| Saturday 25 April 2026 | 12 noon to 5pm | Summerlin Community Centre 138 Station Road Woburn Sands Milton Keynes MK17 8SG |
| Wednesday 29 April 2026 | 2pm to 7pm | Bletchley Masonic Centre 263 Queensway Fenny Stratford Bletchley Milton Keynes MK2 2BZ |
| Thursday 30 April | 12 noon to 5pm | Stewartby Village Hall Stewartby Way Stewartby Bedford MK43 9LU |
| Friday 1 May 2026 | 2pm to 7pm | Shelford Rugby Club The Davey Field Cambridge Road Great Shelford Cambridge CB22 5JJ |
| Wednesday 6th May 2026 | 3pm to 4.30pm | Online event |
| Tuesday 12th May 2026 | 11pm to 6pm | The Kings Centre Osney Mead Oxford OX2 0ES |
| Thursday 14th May 2026 | 2pm to 7pm | Lidlington Village Hall High Street Lidlington Bedford MK43 0RN |
| Friday 15th May 2026 | 2pm to 7pm | Longueville Hall Whaddon Road Newton Longville Milton Keynes MK17 0AT |
| Monday 18th May 2026 | 11pm to 6pm | Venture Conferencing Christian Centre Strudwick Drive Oldbrook Milton Keynes MK6 2TG |
| Thursday 21st May 2026 | 11pm to 6pm | Cambridge United Football Club Cledara Abbey Stadium Newmarket Road Cambridge CB5 8LN |
| Saturday 23rd May 2026 | 11pm to 6pm | King's House, 245 Ampthill Road Bedford MK42 9AZ |
| Saturday 30th May 2026 | 11pm to 6pm | Cambridge Belfry Hotel and Spa Back Lane Cambourne CB23 6BW |
| Tuesday 2nd June 2026 | 10.30am to 12 noon | Online event |
Full details about the consultation are available on the EWR website. On 19 November 2025 EWR released their ‘You Said, We Did’ report. This was was in response to their Non-Statutory Consultation held from 14 November 2025 to 24 January 2025. The report outlines the changes made based upon feedback from the consultation. View the document at East West Rail | You Said We Did.
Overview
East West Railway Company Limited (EWR) is proposing a Development Consent Order (DCO) for a new railway line between Bedford Station and Cambridge Station as well as other associated works to the railway network, which will be determined by the Secretary of State for Transport. The project will cover various electoral divisions across Cambridgeshire, particularly in the City of Cambridge, South Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire.
The East West Rail project is formed of the following sections:
Western - Oxford to Bedford
Upgrades to existing railway between Oxford and Bicester. Reinstating a railway between Bicester and Bletchley. Refurbishing existing railway between Bletchley and Bedford. This section is currently in progress.
Central Section - Bedford to Cambridge
Brand new railway infrastructure. In development by EWR and the section that will be included in this DCO.
Eastern Section - Cambridge to Norwich and Ipswich
This is still in early development and not currently part of the EWR work – this is likely to be upgrades to existing rail infrastructure.
The project falls into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) process defined through the Planning Act 2008 (as amended), and will be considered under Part 3 Section 25 of the legislation because the proposed railway will be constructed wholly in England, be part of network approved operators route, is of a continuous route of more than 2 kilometres, and is not on operational land of a railway undertaker before construction work begins (see section 25(1) of the 2008 Act).
Responsibility for accepting and examining the NSIP application rests with the Secretary of State and not the local authorities, who are identified as statutory consultees, or ‘host’ authorities, in the NSIP process.
There are five ‘host’ authorities, in the central section, (Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and Bedford Borough Council) involved in this NSIP project. All five ‘host’ planning authorities intend to work together as far as possible to ensure full scrutiny of this project is undertaken.
Have your say
It is important to note that as the ‘host’ planning authorities are not the determining authorities. Any correspondence in relation to this matter needs to be directed to East West Railway Company Limited in the first instance and then the Planning Inspectorate.
For further details of the NSIP process for this project, please visit the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) website.
East West Rail - Bedford to Cambridge and Western Improvements proposals, including any consultation events being held, are available on the East West Rail website.
Consultation
The project is currently at the pre-application stage. EWR held their non-statutory consultation from 14 November 2024 to 24 January 2025. More information can be found by visiting East West Rail Consultation 2024.
EWR launched their intended last route-wide public consultation on the latest designs for East West Rail on Tuesday 14 April.
The eight-week consultation is running from 14 April to 9 June 2026. Full details about the consultation are available on the EWR website.
More information can also be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s webpage for this project.
