Communications strategy and plan

February 2013

Version 3

Richard Flindell & Caryl Jones

Table of Contents Document version ...... 2 Summary ...... 3 Objectives ...... 3 Definitions ...... 4 Delivery of Western Section, ...... 7 Audiences – Communities and Stakeholders ...... 9 Communications Aims and Objectives ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Monitoring and Evaluation ……………………………………………………………………………….11 Messages ...... 12 Who’s talking? ...... 13 Key contacts ...... 14 Tactical implementation ...... 15 Lines to take ...... 17 The Central Section, East West Rail ...... 19 Appendix 1 : Original East West Rail Communications Plan ...... 20 Appendix 2 : JDB Communications Strategy and Plan ...... 20 Appendix 3 : Stakeholder matrices ...... 20

Document version

Version Date Signed off Authority 1 15 Jan 2013 Yes with comments EWR Leadership Team Meeting 2 20 Feb 2013 Yes with comments which are EWR Project Executive Board reflected in version 3 3 27 Feb 2013 EWR Joint Delivery Board

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Summary

This Communications Strategy and Plan will supersede the original East West Rail Communications Strategy, Western Section, (which can be found as an Appendix 1 to this document).

Our strategy builds on the ideas contained within the original and also incorporates the themes, ideas and information laid out in the Joint Delivery Board Communications Strategy and Plan dated 12 October 2012 (Appendix 2).

In essence, we bring together all the good and positive elements of previous strategy documents into a single, updated Strategy and Plan.

Objectives

• A draft paper to allow all parties to discuss and contribute • To update our Communications strategy, audiences and key messages • To provide standard definitions for use by those communicating aspects of the project both internally and externally, including terminology and project timeframes • To clearly understand ‘who says what’ for various stages in the project lifecycle • To set out the next steps for the Communications team

3 Definitions

East West Rail The East West Rail project refers to the aspiration of re-opening a rail link between and (with spurs to and ). Although the new East West Rail link will run along the path of the old ‘’ between Oxford and , a new alignment will be required between Bedford and Cambridge, yet to be determined.

East West Rail Consortium The East West Rail Consortium was formed in 1995 by Ipswich Borough Council to promote and secure a strategic railway connecting East Anglia with Central, Southern and Western , including spurs to Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.

The Consortium brings together local authorities and railway and regional stakeholders, along with local businesses and private sector partners from across the South East and East of England.

The day-to-day development work of the Consortium is managed by a steering group of key members who meet on a regular basis. The Consortium normally holds an annual meeting to keep all members informed of project development.

Western Section, East West Rail The Western Section refers to the Oxford to Bedford (including spurs to Aylesbury and Milton Keynes) portion of the East West Rail link. £270m funding to develop and build the Western Section was announced in the Government’s High Level Output Strategy (HLOS) on 26 July 2012. In addition, £30m-£50m of funding must be supplied locally by Consortium Members – a condition stipulated by the Department for Transport.

Additional investment for electrification and developments at Oxford and Bedford stations brings the total expected cost of the Western Section to c£500m.

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Central Section, East West Rail The Central Section refers to the Bedford to Cambridge portion of the East West Rail link. A new alignment, yet to be determined, will be required between Bedford and Cambridge, as the old railway track has been removed and some sections of the track bed have been lost.

At Sandy and new housing occupies the former route; between Lord's Bridge and Cambridge, the Ryle Telescope of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory now occupies a 3-mile (4.8 km) length of the former route; and, between Trumpington Park and Ride and Cambridge Station the entire route has been converted to form part of the Cambridgeshire Guided Bus way.

One option for alignment might be via Sandy and a second via Luton and . Funding to develop and build the Central Section was not included in July 2012 HLOS.

Eastern Section, East West Rail Refers to the existing rail links east of Cambridge that will eventually feed freight and passenger trains from East Anglia through to the southern and western parts of Britain (and vice versa) passing through the Central and Western Sections of the East West Rail link.

5 Electric Spine Electrification designed to provide extra network capacity for projected freight growth and enhanced cross-country passenger services running between Yorkshire and the East Midlands down to south coast ports, and also between Sheffield and Bedford.

£130m funding for electrification between Oxford and Bedford was included in the 26 July HLOS although the full scope of works is being defined.

High Speed 2 / HS2 The proposed alignment for High Speed 2 is likely to run alongside the Aylesbury spur of the Western Section from a point north of Aylesbury Vale station and northwards to bisect the Western Section at Calvert Junction. The East West Rail team is working closely with HS2 to make sure both projects are planning for the most suitable – less disruptive – outcome for each.

6 Delivery of Western Section, East West Rail

The Western Section will be delivered by , working in partnership with the East West Rail Consortium, and the DfT. Delivery has been divided into three Phases with initial Phase 1 work already in progress. Stakeholder communications and engagement for Phase 1 has been undertaken by Chiltern Railways to date. As Phase 1 delivery transfers to Network Rail around February 2013, the responsibility of stakeholder engagement and communication will pass to Network Rail/Consortium.

Phase 1 • Water Eaton to Bicester Water Eaton to Bicester will be delivered by Network Rail • Oxford area remodelling (working in partnership with Chiltern Railways, who • Electrification initiated work as part of their Evergreen 3 project for a fast 100 mph rail link between Oxford and , Marylebone). Stakeholder engagement has been undertaken by Chiltern Railways for this Phase but will pass to NR/Consortium in February.

Phase 2 1. Bicester to Delivered by Network Rail in partnership with East West 2. Electrification Rail Consortium. 3. Claydon to Aylesbury Indicative timings below.

Phase 3 • Bletchley to Bedford Delivered by Network Rail in partnership with East West • Milton Keynes Rail Consortium. • Electrification Indicative timings below. • Bedford area remodelling

Indicative timeframes Western Section, East West Rail

Project Phases / Year 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Water Eaton to Bicester

Oxford area remodelling Electrification Water Eaton to Bicester Bicester to Bletchley (inc Aylesbury and M Keynes) Electrification Bicester to Bletchley Bletchley to Bedford Electrification Bletchley to Bedford Bedford area remodelling

7 Other high level milestones

Network Rail Strategic Business Plan submission 8 January 2013 ORR draft determination 12 June 2013 NR response to draft determination 2 September 2013 Local contribution amounts agreed 31 October 2013 ORR final determination 31 October 2013 NR publishes CP5 delivery plan 31 March 2014 Start of CP5 1 April 2014

8 Audiences – Communities and Stakeholders

Please see Appendix 3 for Stakeholder Matrices – these are working documents that are being reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis.

Target audiences have been identified by the nature of their interest in East West Rail and by their geographical location, proximity to the route and local authority area in which they are based.

Stakeholders have been segmented in order to ensure that information and messages relevant to their particular needs and interests and delivered through appropriate channels, as follows:

1. Politicians East West Rail has a high level of political support across all parties, at local and national level. As representatives of their constituents, opinion formers, influencers of policy and spokespeople, we will keep local councillors and MPs informed of project progress. We will be proactive in informing them of activity that will affect the communities they represent, promoting local opportunities and addressing any local issues that arise.

Methods of communication: Direct communication on specific issues; Local Area Forum meetings; Council and Committee Meetings; established local authority communications channels (email, pigeonholes, briefings).

Communication will be coordinated by the EWR project communications team with the relevant local authority communications officers.

2. Local Authority Officers The nature of the East West Rail project means that numerous local authority officers with need to be aware of the EWR project and how it may impact on their areas of interest and expertise, including: Planning, Highways, Community Engagement, Democratic Services, Environmental Services and Communications / Media teams.

Methods of communication: Direct communication with the EWR project communications team; individual established internal communications channels, including newsletters, notice boards, intranets etc. The EWR project communications team can facilitate consistency of communication across each local authority area.

3. Local Communities / Residents Trackside residents and communities are the primary audience for EWR external communications activity, and their information requirements will be the most diverse. In addition to generic information about the project and ultimately the rail services that will be offered, their interests include information about public consultations; disruption to services during construction; concerns over traffic management; and how their properties may be affected through noise, vibration and mitigation measures and potential compensation.

Methods of communication: EWR website, emails to subscribers, letters and leaflets, public / community meetings and direct communication with individuals affected. Network Rail and Local Authority Community Relations and Customer Care teams.

9 4. Businesses and Organisations Improving transport infrastructure is a priority for businesses and economic development throughout the region that East West Rail will serve. It is vital to raise awareness that East West Rail is happening in order to capitalise on the opportunities it presents for economic growth and to attract inward investment.

Beyond the ‘generic’ messages about the project, timescales, planned services and routes and any local disruption, we will work with the economic development teams to promote the benefits of the railway, the services it will offer and the commercial opportunities. Where appropriate, engagement with specific industry associations provide a platform to inform specialist audiences about different aspects of the East West Rail project – for example, the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Method of communication: We will communicate with local businesses and economic development teams through the existing business support infrastructure, working with Local Enterprise Partnerships, Chambers of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, Institute of Directors, major local employers, business networking groups and associations and attend key business events.

5. Rail Users Rail users include passenger train operating companies, freight operators, existing and potential passengers and businesses who currently or may use rail freight. There is a natural overlap with trackside residents, communities and the business community already mentioned.

Methods of communication: Website, email subscriptions, industry, business and community events, presentations and talks to special interest groups and direct communication with the project team.

We will engage with existing and potential rail passengers in the same way as local communities and residents and via rail user groups where appropriate.

6. Rail enthusiasts The nature of East West Rail project means that it is of great interest to rail enthusiasts and groups. We will engage with these groups as appropriate to keep them informed of developments and harness their enthusiasm as advocates for the project at talks and events.

7. Press / Media As a major infrastructure project, East West Rail is a project of significant public and media interest including local, regional, national and specialist media. They are also an important channel through which to communicate specific messages with all target audiences.

We will work proactively with local, regional and national media, with local authority communications officers managing the relationship with local media working closely with the EWR project communications team, the EWR project communications team managing relationships with regional, national and specialist media.

Methods of Communication: News releases, events, media briefings (group and individual), Twitter and LinkedIn.

10 Communications Aims and Objectives

• Raise awareness and understanding of the EWR railway amongst the many stakeholders who will be affected;

• Engage with communities who are close to the rail route through two-way communication to support the project aim to maximise the benefits of the railway and minimise any disruption or negative impact;

• Develop networks of advocates for the EWR scheme to extend the reach of direct communications from the project partners;

• Maintain and build upon the high level of political and public support for the project, to enable the benefits presented in the business case to be achieved, by keep stakeholders including funding bodies informed of project developments.

• Ensure that all stakeholders have access to high-quality, timely and relevant information through appropriate channels, enabling them to be well-informed advocates for the project; ensuring consistency of information communicated by DfT, Network Rail and members of the EWR;

• Instil and maintain a high level of confidence in the project and the organisations and individuals involved in its delivery.

Monitoring and evaluation of Communications Activity

Our key measures of success will be:

- awareness of the EWR railway project amongst stakeholders - public, political and business support for East West Rail - feedback from stakeholders on the quality, accuracy, relevance and timeliness of information - stakeholder confidence in the delivery of East West Rail

In order to set measurable objectives, it is first necessary to establish a baseline against which ongoing communications activity will be measured. We will develop a programme of monitoring and evaluation activity that will include monitoring website usage, correspondence, news / media coverage, feedback from events, meetings with stakeholders

With input from each local authority, Network Rail and the Department for Transport, we will develop a formal research approach to measure public awareness and attitudes towards East West Rail, which is likely to take the form of a public opinion survey that can be replicated through the life of the project.

This will establish a baseline measure of public awareness, acceptance and support for East West Rail and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of ongoing communications activity amongst different stakeholder groups, which will in turn be used to refine and inform our ongoing communications strategy and plan, against measurable objectives.

11 Messages

Our key messages are relevant for all partners including the East West Rail Consortium, Network Rail, Chiltern Railways:

• EWR is definitely happening - circa £500m funding investment in strategic infrastructure secured with the aim of some EWR services running from December 2017; • EWR will transform some key local journeys with up to 50% time savings compared to comparable travel by road; • EWR is included as part of the new “electric spine” strategic national rail network concept. Should this be given the go-ahead in October 2013 it will open up opportunities for additional freight and cross- country passenger services; • Electric trains are faster, quieter and will enable faster journey times between stations; • EWR links centres of economic activity making the area more attractive to business, encouraging new jobs and housing growth; • EWR will deliver significant economic benefits to the region, attracting inward investment, new businesses and creating an estimated 12,000 new jobs; • Network Rail will work with the Consortium to ensure communities are kept informed of project development • New and improved stations will be provided at Oxford, Winslow, Bletchley and Bedford • Connectivity to Heathrow airport from stations on EWR will be significantly improved following the completion of the western access to LHR in 2021;

The investment plans also bring issues that some will be concerned about including:

• Freight traffic – noise, vibration, reducing local passenger service options; • Impact of more services on level crossings/road network • Concerns over the frequency of trains, environmental impacts both real and perceived, noise and vibration, footpath and level crossings, bridleways.

12 Who’s talking?

Engagement with local residents or stakeholders could be via one of many channels available to external audiences: letter, email, social media, website etc. The development of the brand guidelines should allow us to provide a suitable EWR Consortium partner template for appropriate response provision.

As part of the brand guidelines we will produce a series of ‘strap lines’ which can be appended to email signatures or used over the phone to allow members to identify themselves as integral to the Consortium and thus part of the project.

There may be some instances where mechanisms are not set up to facilitate response using EWR templates; for example, issues being dealt with by Network Rail’s Contact and Communities team. Responses will be made by Network Rail for those people who submit queries directly to NR. This will be a similar situation for Local Authorities too.

13 Key contacts

Contact Position Organisation Email address Telephone Communications [email protected] Caryl Jones EWRC 07785 927 210 Manager Patrick patrick.o’[email protected] Consultant EWRC 01908 252 481 / 07990 576 503 O’Sullivan Head of [email protected] Nicola Clark Chiltern Railways 020 7333 3118 Communications Stephen [email protected] Chief Project Engineer Chiltern Railways 0121 483 5239 / 07818 014 930 Barker Richard Communications [email protected] Network Rail 07801 334 080 Flindell Manager Bernard Senior Commercial [email protected] Network Rail 0121 345 3329 / 07767 672 596 Hulland Schemes Sponsor Jill Head of HS2 [email protected] 020 7944 0623 / 07900 468 335 Pearcy Communications Adam Joyce Press Officer HS2 [email protected] 020 7944 0549

Press Office Press Office HS2 020 7944 6149 Andrew Bedford Borough Commons Media Officer Council [email protected] 01234 276084 Carol Snr Comms & 01908 252062 Hewison Engagement Officer Milton Keynes Council [email protected] Rachel 01908 254287 Munday PR and Media Milton Keynes Council [email protected] Corporate Comms Cherwell District janet.ferris@cherwellandsouthnorthants. 0300 003 0114 Janet Ferris Manager Council gov.uk Richard Aylesbury Vale District richard.harrington@aylesburyvaleadvant 07738 314085 Harrington Council age.co.uk Anna Central anna.copperwheat@centralbedfordshire. 0300 300 4671 Copperwheat Media Officer Council gov.uk Aylesbury Vale District 01296 585099 David Dean Media Officer Council [email protected] Richard 01296 382149 Wells PR + Media, Bucks CC Bucks County Council [email protected] Rosemary Bryant Transport for Bucks Bucks County Council [email protected] 01296 383445 Laura-Jo 01296 382766 Stocks Transport for Bucks Bucks CC [email protected] 020 7944 2462 David James Media Dept for Transport [email protected] Russell National Media Spink Relations Network Rail [email protected]

Gayle Pope Communications SEMLEP [email protected] 01234 436100

Sarah Fraser PA to Alex Pratt BTVLEP [email protected] 07751 020604 Owen [email protected] Morton Media Oxfordshire CC 01865 323 870

14 Tactical implementation

A Communications ‘budget’ has been secured through Network Rail and will allow us to achieve most, if not all of the activities below:

Chiltern Railways Monthly meetings with Chiltern Railways Project and In progress since Jan 13 Communications team to ensure a seamless transition to integrated communications and engagement, led by NR/Consortium comms team.

Brand guidelines A mini-review of the East West Rail brand guidelines is underway to Feb 2013 make sure appropriate templates are available to deliver our messages via our chosen delivery channels.

The East West Rail brand is strong and known so this is not about redesign but simply updating the guidelines making them fit for purpose and easy to use.

Network Rail, other partner We will regularly brief NR and Local Authority Contact and Contact and Communities Communities team members to update them on the East West Rail Jan 2013 on-going project and provide them with all the Q&As currently available and a point of contact for further information. Any external issues coming through various communications channels – email, social media, website or telephone will be logged and responded to accordingly.

Communication strategy The Communications Strategy will be updated once signed off by the Jan 2013 Joint Delivery Board.

Industry press briefing Rail Engineer and other trade journalists have requested information Mar 2013 so they can write and publish articles on East West Rail. Whist this publicity is excellent news we need to make sure we can articulate a robust narrative around issues like the challenge to the TWA Order and the scope of works for electrification. Chiltern Railways has agreed this in principle. eNewsletter/factsheets and Produced once the brand guidelines have been updated and promotional packs templates are ready. To follow guidelines review

Press releases As per original strategy – collaboration across Consortium members From Jan 2013 and signed off. Distribution by each partner’s press or communications team.

Broadcast media interviews As per original strategy From Jan 2013

Website One website to be reviewed and updated. Development of digital To follow guidelines review material including interactive maps of the region and Western Section. All parties to have access with central administrator. Registration and email functionality. Good content management system including

15 pictures and video content. Include links to social media. Updates as required and will accommodate future info re Central section etc. Future proofing is required to make sure the site

Stand-alone exhibition We will commission display material for a small stand-alone Feb-Apr 2013 exhibition that can be left on site at councils and other stakeholder premises that tells the East West Rail story and will help build advocacy for the project amongst some key audience groups. Material could include pop up banners and possibly leaflets and will work in parallel with digital display from the website. Small lapel badges to be produced if the budget allows.

Compiling standard Q&As As the project unfolds, we will build and maintain a standard list of In progress Q&As for use by partners in the project. eg Winslow and Oxford-Bicester

Unveiling our plans Taking our plans to the local community and business audiences. More detail to follow as plans and timeframes develop. Stakeholder matrices are appended to this paper.

Monitoring public opinion and We will develop a method for measuring public awareness and evaluation of communications support for the EWR project to inform our ongoing communications activity activity and to evaluate the effectiveness of our stakeholder engagement and communications work.

16 Lines to take

1. Challenge to Chiltern A judicial review will be required and the date has been set for 19 Railways application for a March 2013 following Chiltern Railways request for the review to TWA Order for Phase 1 work be expedited.

Line to take: In the short term Chiltern Railways and Network Rail are working together to complete preliminary work on the Water Eaton to Bicester section of the railway. This will include environmental and other preparatory work, outside of the scope of the TWA Order. A review of the situation will take place following the Judicial Review on 19 March 2013.

2. Scope of work for The exact requirements for delivering the ‘Electric Spine’ are not electrification fully defined. More detail is expected as we progress through the ORRs determination of Network Rail’s Strategic Business Plan as per the timetable above.

The “Electric Spine” concept was included as a “named” project in the government’s five year (2014-19) plans for the railway (High Level Output Strategy announced in July 2012). The complete concept would deliver an electrified strategic freight network between Southampton and the East and West Midlands by the end of 2019, including electrification of the Oxford – Bletchley – Bedford route.

The capability of the Western Section of the East West Rail (EWR) route will be considerably enhanced compared to the core EWR service offering,enabling electrically-operated, passenger and freight trains which are quieter, cleaner and more economical to run than diesel trains.

Line to take: The exact requirements for delivering the ‘Electric Spine’ are not yet fully defined but the work is being scoped with a target date of March 2019 for electrification work to be completed between Oxford and Bedford.

3. Impact of East West Rail link Concern about how the project will detrimentally affect the local on lineside neighbours and community, businesses and residences. This could be in relation local residents and to increased freight services at night, the impact of works, closure businesses – including of level crossings etc issues with closure of level crossings

Line to take: Following the government’s announcement to fund the Western Section (Oxford to Bedford) of the East West Rail link in July 2012, we are currently doing environmental and other preliminary investigative works (name area) to understand the full scope of the project. During 2013, we will also gain a more complete understanding of the full scope of the electrification works required for this new section of railway. Until we have these details it is

17 difficult for us to comment on how precisely the East West Rail link might impact your home or business. As soon as more information becomes available we will be in a position to update those concerned and, as a matter of course, we’ll be consulting on our plans with the local community and stakeholders. In the meantime, please keep an eye on the website for further updates and information www.eastwestrail.org.uk

4. HS2 / Calvert Corridor The East West Rail project has received lots of positive support from the local business and stakeholder community; HS2 less so. We need to continue promoting the economic benefits of East West Rail to all of our stakeholders and create advocates where we can.

Opposition to HS2 by both CC and AVDC is well Line to take: documented. We understand that HS2 Ltd is determined that there will not be an intermediate station between London and the West Midlands.

However, if HS2 Ltd should receive Parliamentary approval, there has been some speculation and community interest in a temporary ‘halt’ on the EWR route in the Calvert / Steeple Claydon area to provide access for workers during construction of HS2. If demand warranted it, it would be possible to make this station permanent, to serve both the HS2 Infrastructure Maintenance Depot and the local community. This would be on the basis that HS2 funded such a station and reached appropriate agreement with Network Rail and the East West Rail Consortium. The station could also offer benefits for people travelling from Aylesbury to Oxford as an interchange station potentially offering shorter journey times compared to changing at Winslow or Bletchley.

If you have particularly strong views on this matter, Rosie Brake, Buckinghamshire CC’s HS2 Engagement Business Manager is happy to hear from you.

5. Winslow Q&A A question and answer session following a presentation to the Winslow and District Local Area Forum is now published on the EWR website. The information was correct as of 17th January 2013 and will be updated as the project progresses.

6. Oxford to Bicester Q&A To be added

18 The Central Section, East West Rail

A programme of lobbying and active engagement with political and business stakeholders by the East West Consortium members in a similar way as the Western Section.

19 Appendix 1 : Original East West Rail Communications Plan Appendix 2 : JDB Communications Strategy and Plan Appendix 3 : Stakeholder matrices

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