East West Rail
East West Rail – Connecting the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor
East West Rail will connect Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge. The new railway will drive economic growth by improving access to jobs, housing, education, healthcare and leisure opportunities.
The case for East West Rail
The Oxford–Cambridge region is one of the UK’s most productive areas, generating over £143 billion a year and supporting around two million jobs, many in high‑skill industries. With world‑leading universities and major research centres, it’s a hub for innovation and investment.
But the region’s potential is held back by poor east–west transport links. Many rail journeys require travelling via London, roads are congested, and connections between key towns and cities are slow.
For the first time in more than 60 years, East West Rail will provide a direct link across the region, whilst also providing key interchanges with existing north to south rail lines.
To ensure the benefits of the new railway are delivered to communities as soon as possible, the railway will be delivered in phases.
Current situation
The section between Bicester and Bletchley has been rebuilt and was handed over to Network Rail in December 2024 and is now part of the operational network. Services between Oxford and Milton Keynes will be operated by Chiltern Railways. Once formal operational procedures have been agreed, Chiltern Railways and the Department of Transport hope to announce the start date for these services as soon as possible.
By the early 2030s
East West Rail will upgrade and electrify the Marston Vale Line (MVL), enabling the introduction of four trains per hour between Oxford and Stewartby. It will construct four modern, fully accessible stations, including a new station at Stewartby to serve the Universal Entertainment Resort Complex, as well as improvements to Bletchley station.
Accelerating this part of the programme means train services will start within the first few years of the park opening, in line with the expected increase in demand.
By the mid-2030s
East West Rail will accelerate the construction of an upgraded station in Bedford, delivering modern facilities and improved connections for both north-south and east-west train services. Once complete, up to four trains per hour will serve Bedford from the west.
East West Rail will also provide a new entrance at Cambridge station and deliver early connectivity improvements for passengers ahead of the introduction of EWR services.
The new station at Cambridge East will also be completed, subject to third-party funding, enabling other services to use the station before EWR services begin.
By the mid-to-late 2030s
East West Rail plans to open the full railway by the mid-to-late 2030s. By this point, the new section of railway between Bedford and Cambridge will be complete and all new stations will be open.
By delivering the project in this way, we can create real benefits:
- Minimise disruption for local communities – we are looking to find the best way to reduce the length and severity of disruption for local communities
- Deliver the best value for taxpayers – by properly integrating the whole railway all the way from planning to operations we will find efficiencies and cost saving for the taxpayer
- Increase reliability of our services – the project is about more than just laying down steel and concrete: we’re thinking about how timetables and connections with other parts of the rail network will impact your journeys, so we can be confident of delivering reliable services from day one.