East West Rail consultations to kick start again this week
Residents located along the rail line will have the opportunity to have a say over the route
A second wave of public consultations into the East West Rail line is to start tomorrow.
It promises to link Oxford to Cambridge, delivering stops in Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire along the way.
The first services along the line are to commence this year between Oxford and Bletchley, with the Bedford section scheduled for completion by 2030, and the full route from Oxford to Cambridge operational by the mid-2030s.
The plan has been years in the making, with Labour taking over the work of its Conservative predecessor.
In the Autumn Budget, Labour announced the new line would "bolster the area’s thriving life science cluster", "enable new housing developments along the route" and "support up to 28,000 jobs in Cambridge alone".
The Government further assured it would boost the Oxford-Cambridge economy by £6.7 billion per year by 2050.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio previously, David Hughes, Chief Executive of East West Rail, said: "Discontinuous electrification is cleaner, cheaper, and less disruptive.
"It avoids the need for overhead equipment along the entire line, reducing costs and environmental impacts, particularly in challenging areas like bridges and tunnels."
Mr Hughes maintained that the project aligns with national priorities, including achieving net-zero emissions and promoting economic growth in the region.
He said: "This railway will turbocharge economic development in Oxford, Bedford, Milton Keynes, and Cambridge while delivering a 10% net increase in biodiversity.
"It’s a sustainable solution to meet future transportation and economic needs."
Where and when are consultations being held?
St Neots, St Neots Town Football Club, 7 January 2025, 2pm - 7pm
Comberton, Comberton Village Hall, 10 January 2025, 2pm - 7pm
Bletchley, Bletchley Masonic Centre, 15 January 2025, 2pm - 7pm
Woburn Sands, The Summerlin Centre, 17 January 2025, 2pm - 7pm
Cambridge, The Clayton Hotel, 18 January 2025, 12pm - 5pm
Cherry Hinton, St Andrews, 21 January 2025, 2pm - 7pm
This wave of consultations is due to end on January 24.