Cllr Katie Thornburrow has been elected the new Chair of the East West Main Line Partnership at its annual general meeting in Milton Keynes on Thursday (17 October)
The Cambridge City Council Executive Councillor for Planning, Building Control and Infrastructure, succeeds Cllr Steven Broadbent, of Buckinghamshire Council, who had served his full three-year term in the role.
The partnership, for which England's Economic Heartland provides the secretariat, brings together local authorities and sub-national transport bodies stretching from Norfolk and Suffolk through to the west of England. Founded in 1995 by Ipswich Borough Council, it made the original business case for East West Rail. Today, it champions the strategic ambition for East West Rail, including its delivery in full to Aylesbury and coast-to-coast connectivity to Norwich, Ipswich and Bristol, alongside ensuring Government and East West Railway Company understand the needs of local communities and businesses during the planning, construction and operation of the scheme.
Cllr Thornburrow said: "East West Rail is an exciting opportunity for the whole region, connecting communities and businesses to jobs, skills and services. It will be a key element in building our internationally important knowledge industries, particularly in the life sciences, digital and advanced engineering sectors, and helping them flourish. It will give people the freedom to travel sustainably by rail within the region and across the UK - and perhaps even further.
"I am looking forward to working with Board members to realise our shared ambitions for the project. I’d like to thank Steven Broadbent for his excellent chairmanship of the Partnership over the last few years, during which we played a leading role in securing continued government backing for the scheme.
"There is a busy and exciting period ahead. We await the East West Railway Company’s consultation on the plans between Bletchley and Cambridge, while the first East West Rail services between Oxford and Milton Keynes will open next year. I’m keen that the lessons learnt from its construction and operation inform its next stages. We must also ensure that East West Rail benefits as many people and businesses as possible through acting as a catalyst for improving connectivity to and from its stations. And of course, the Partnership continues its work to ensure East West Rail is delivered in full, including the Aylesbury link, and to realise a coast to coast main line, to Norwich, Ipswich and Bristol."
Cllr Broadbent became chair of what was then the East West Rail Consortium in 2021, and oversaw its relaunch as the East West Main Line Partnership. In 2022, the Partnership highlighted the strong business voice for East West Rail in its report, Building Better Connections, which was key to securing renewed commitment to the scheme from Government.
Cllr Broadbent told the meeting: "I'm immensely proud of the work we've done together over the last three years and want to say thank you to all the members of the Partnership who've helped us be as impactful as possible."