The Secretary of State for Transport (Louise Haigh)
East West Rail supports this Government’s mission to kickstart economic growth and productivity right across the Oxford-Cambridge region by providing easier and faster regional connectivity, opening up access to employment and skills training, and supporting new housing developments. By 2050, East West Rail is set to boost the Oxford-Cambridge regional economy by £6.7 billion every year.
The Oxford-Cambridge region is home to a number of research and development hubs across a variety of highly skilled and highly productive sectors, such as life sciences research at the Cambridge biomedical campus. East West Rail would provide these vital sites with the connectivity they need to increase their access to the talent pool and allow the region to compete better on the global stage, supporting up to 28,000 jobs in Cambridge alone.
East West Rail will also be crucial to ensuring that planned housing developments in the region are well connected, by joining newer settlements and housing to established conurbations in Cambridge, Bedford, Oxford, and Milton Keynes.
The first stage of East West Rail from Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes is currently in delivery and will open in 2025. The Budget confirmed the acceleration of works on the Marston Vale line, ensuring that East West Rail services will run from Oxford to Milton Keynes and Bedford from 2030.
The next stage of the scheme is a non-statutory consultation, which will go live on 14 November 2024, and be followed by a statutory consultation, and then a development consent order application. This consultation will feature proposals on:
The new services and stations that will be provided by East West Rail for people living in the Oxford-Cambridge region;
Battery/overhead electrification as the baseline traction solution for the railway;
Options for how stations and services should be provided for the Marston Vale line (Bletchley-Bedford);
Redevelopment of Bedford station to address increased service levels and improve the passenger experience;
The closure of Bicester London road level crossing and other proposals related to level crossings;
The alignment of the railway and new east coast main line interchange station at Tempsford;
A new station at Cambourne and potential alterations to other stations along the line of route, including in the Cambridge area;
Options in the Oxford area to accommodate additional services.
The Department for Transport will also be issuing safeguarding directions for East West Rail today to protect land from conflicting development. I am placing a copy of the safeguarding directions in the Libraries of both Houses.
Taking forward these next steps for the East West Rail scheme reinforces this Government’s mission to kickstart economic growth and connectivity to unlock access to the skills, education, and jobs needed to deliver national growth and individual prosperity. The Department for Transport will work collaboratively with cross-Government partners, including the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government, to ensure a joined-up approach to growth and development in the region.
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