Consultation is the key

I’m delighted with the support shown for East West Rail by Sir John Armitt CBE ( RAIL 906), and his acknowledgment that listening to people who have been affected is integral to the initial stages of large projects.

Since EWR Co was created in 2017, we’ve been operating at speed in our role as the integrator of the East West Rail line, one of the key projects that will contribute to the UK’s economic recovery.

Following Government guidance on social distancing, environmental surveys are currently under way. And, in an unusually early move for a project of this nature, we have defined our customer vision with work on station requirements and the future digital needs of customers continuing apace.

This has been informed by extensive stakeholder engagement with those who will benefit from (and be affected by) the new railway. We continue to make progress on timetabling and refining the business case for the railway.

The desire to accelerate delivery of this critical connectivity - and, indeed, our demonstrable progress - is firmly balanced with our commitment to delivering the right railway for the communities we serve. The responses we received to our 2019 consultation were central to the way we made our decision on the preferred route option for the line between Bedford and Cambridge.

As Sir John says: “You cannot build… a railway without listening to the concerns of those who may be affected.”

This activity is a critical part of the planning processes, and when done properly it will (and should) take a little time. It will also produce the best end result for our customers, businesses and all affected stakeholders.

Rob Brighouse, Chairman, East West Railway Company