East West Rail unveil new designs as part of consultation for opening Oxford-MK-Cambridge train line

East West Rail (EWR) have unveiled updated designs as part of their consultation into opening new railway links between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge.

The latest details are part of the East West Rail organisation’s last route-wide consultation on the project before a Development Consent Order (DCO) application to build the railway between Bedford and Cambridge is submitted in 2027.  

The organisation said, “We now propose to build EWR innew delivery phases – replacing the previous connection stages – with new stations and sections of the railway opening as soon as they are ready, rather than waiting for the whole route to be completed.”

At present, trains run on the first part of the line between Oxford and Bicester. Tracks have been laid connecting Bicester with Bletchley, but passenger services on this section have been delayed while a dispute carries on between railway operators and the unions with no date as of yet for when intended services between Oxford and Milton Keynes start running.

EWR announced plans for a consultation that will run for eight weeks from April 14 to June 9. A series of public drop-in events are being held at locations across the route to provide opportunities to meet the EWR Co team and find out more about the updated proposals.

Events in the Milton Keynes area are taking place in Woburn Sands on Saturday 25th April, Bletchley on Wednesday 29th April, Newton Longville on Friday 15th May and in the Oldbrook area of MK on Monday 18th May. Full details are available on the EWR website.

Proposals for the finished route would include a core EWR service of four trains per hour across the whole route, with an additional fifth train running when needed. Five-carriage trains, rather than four carriages, are also proposed due to increased demand.

Under the plans, features would include redevelopment of Bedford station, a new station at Stewartby to serve the upcoming Universal Studios theme park, three new fully accessible stations at Woburn Sands, Ridgmont and Lidlington, a new entrance at Cambridge station, a new station at Cambridge East – subject to third-party funding – and building of a station at Tempsford around a planned new town in Bedfordshire.

Further proposals include hybrid electric/battery-equipped trains to support UK net zero goals, and reduce emissions, the provision of new modern train stations that will support multi-modal travel with integrated bus and active travel connections, mobility hubs, and improved station access for walking, wheeling, cycling, taxis, and parking, and designs which aim to achieve sustainability goals by realising opportunities to enhance and strengthen green infrastructure networks, to benefit local people and nature along the line of the route.

David Hughes, CEO, East West Railway Company, said, “These updated proposals mark a major step forward for East West Rail to help ensure communities see the benefits of the project sooner as we finalise the design. Faster delivery, more frequent services and new stations will help unlock housing, support new jobs and attract investment, while giving residents and businesses better connections between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.”