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The chief executive of East West Rail is stepping down from the role to 鈥減ursue new opportunities鈥�. 

Beth West has been at the helm of the East West Rail Company, a non-departmental public arm鈥檚 length body set up by the government to deliver a new rail link between Cambridge and Oxford, for the past two years. 

A former managing director of Balfour Beatty鈥檚 southern arm, West succeeded the retiring Simon Blanchflower in April 2022.

Her period in charge has seen the scheme鈥檚 preferred route defined and preparations made for the first stage of statutory consultation, which begins this summer. 

West, who before her move to Balfour was head of development at Landsec, said: 鈥淲hen I started at EWR Co, it wasn鈥檛 even clear if government would back the project. We now have clear government support, a real focus on what we鈥檙e doing, why we鈥檙e doing it and who we鈥檙e building it for.  

鈥淎s the company moves into a new phase, I鈥檝e reflected that now is the time for me to move on, with EWR Co ready for the future whilst I鈥檓 ready for a new challenge.鈥� 

She will remain interim chief executive until the end of May and will continue to support the organisation鈥檚 transition to a new permanent chief executive until the end of July. 

EWR Co鈥檚 chair, Neil Sachdev, said West鈥檚 tenure had been 鈥渁 defining time鈥� for the company and thanked her for her service. 

>> What is East West Rail and why is it being built? 

Rail minister Huw Merriman also paid tribute, describing her as 鈥渋nstrumental in bringing fresh perspective鈥� to the project. 

鈥淏eth has overseen significant developments during her time as CEO and rightly kept the communities this railway will serve at the heart of the project throughout,鈥� he said. 

EWR Co said that a permanent chief executive would be announced 鈥渋n due course鈥�. 

Meanwhile another major infrastructure scheme, Sizewell C, has appointed a new main civils programme director. 

Major projects veteran David Speight was previously senior project manager for Lendlease on the London 2012 Olympics Athletes Village, head of civil construction at Hinkley and delivery director of phase 1 main works on HS2.