East West Rail promises to put inclusivity first as project progresses
Members of the Accessibility Advisory Panel have already issued feedback on inclusive access at three stations
Disabled members of East West Rail’s Accessibility Advisory Panel (AAP) have visited stations along the proposed route to assess and advise on inclusive design as part of efforts to ensure the future railway meets the needs of all users.
The visits to Bedford, Bletchley, and Bicester Village stations were carried out to identify common accessibility barriers and to highlight features that already serve disabled passengers well. The feedback gathered will inform the design of new and upgraded stations between Oxford and Cambridge.
The initiative is part of East West Railway Company’s (EWR Co) broader aim to embed accessibility into the early stages of design, with input from people who have lived experience of disability.
The AAP includes 12 local residents from across the route with a range of access needs.
Mary Doyle, Co-Chair of the Accessibility Advisory Panel and an independent inclusive transport consultant, said: “It’s vital that our new stations are shaped by the voices of disabled people.
"Barriers to travel don’t come from impairments, they come from poor design, processes and attitudes.
"We have a once in a generation opportunity and duty to build a railway that will last for 200 years which truly includes everyone, right from the start.
"We must get it right now through an inclusive design culture and make it flexible enough for all people who are disabled, neurodivergent or older so they can travel with confidence, consistency and dignity.
"East West Rail are aiming to be the accessibility gold standard and bring joy back to rail.”
Design and architecture staff from EWR Co and MWJV—a joint venture between Mott MacDonald and WSP, acting as the project’s principal designer—joined the station visits to hear directly from panel members.
Laura Lewis, Human Factors and Inclusive Design Lead for EWR, said: “We valued hearing directly from people with lived experience of being disabled, which helped us understand what works and what does not work at today’s stations.
"These insights are essential to shaping more inclusive designs.
"It was powerful having our design team on-site with us. Seeing the impact of designs first-hand should enable them to put themselves in the shoes of disabled people and to develop more accessible solutions.”
Trevor Wilson, Building and Stations Architect at EWR Co, highlighted the importance of aligning station designs with contemporary accessibility standards: “It’s essential that station design keeps pace with and reflects the needs of the 21st century.
"It’s clear that many stations on the UK rail network still require significant attention; while facilities may exist, they’re often not fit for purpose or aligned with modern expectations.
"It’s crucial that the feedback from the AAP visits is taken seriously, so we can consider developing new standards for future stations—ensuring they meet the needs of everyone who travels through them.”
Ruben Santos, Architect for the EWR project, also took part in the visits and emphasised the value of user-led design: “We were delighted to engage with the East West Rail Accessibility Advisory Panel and experience first-hand some of the challenges that disabled people face at stations.
"It’s crucial for us as designers to understand the obstacles that prevent everyone from having an equal experience; exercises like these are vital to our approach, with our core value of being people-focused, putting the everyday human experience at the starting point of our design.
"We’re proud to continue to develop designs on the new East West Rail stations that follow the project's key principles of creating welcoming, intuitive, and inclusive stations.”
The site visits follow earlier work by the AAP, which produced a list of priority issues for disabled rail passengers. This list is available separately on request.
EWR Co will also be among the organisers of the Watford Conference, scheduled to take place in London from 21–24 September 2025. Coinciding with the 200th anniversary of UK railways, the event is intended to promote international dialogue on high-quality rail design.