Mott MacDonald, in partnership with WSP (MWJV), has been appointed as principal designer for the East West Rail project.
Plans for East West Rail (EWR) will connect Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford, and Cambridge.
This follows the government committing to delivering the railway in full in the Autumn Budget.
Former transport secretary Louise Haigh, claimed the project is expected to boost the Oxford-Cambridge economy by £6.7 billion per year by 2050.
MWJV’s appointment aims to drive forward the next development phase of the programme to build a new railway between Oxford and Cambridge.
In a keynote speech last month, chancellor Rachel Reeves outlined her support to EWR to allow a new station at Tempsford to be fast-tracked as part of plans to boost growth along the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.
As project designer, MWJV will lead planning, managing and monitoring pre-construction activities.
The partnership will provide the technical and management resources to support EWR Co as it prepares to apply for a development consent order (DCO).
This includes preliminary engineering and systems design, environmental assessment and management of the statutory processes.
A successful DCO would then authorise EWR Co to build the new infrastructure required to deliver EWR.
Matthew Bailey, MWJV project director, said: “Safety and collaboration are at the heart of this project, and MWJV’s role as Principal Designer will ensure we deliver infrastructure that not only meets the highest standards but also anticipates and mitigates future risks.
“This appointment allows us to apply a proactive approach to design, ensuring greater scrutiny and adaptability while prioritising long-term safety and efficiency to deliver lasting value for East West Rail and the communities it will serve.”
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