Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the latest cost estimates are for each phase of the East West Rail project; and how those costs compare with the cost estimates first submitted for each phase of the project to the Treasury.

Connection Stage One of East West Rail, enabling services from Oxford to Milton Keynes, was originally part of the ‘Western Section Phase 2’ of the programme before it was configured into Connection Stages. In the Phase 2 Outline Business Case submitted HM Treasury in 2019, the Anticipated Final Costs for Phase 2 were estimated at £1.1bn.

The current Anticipated Final Cost of Connection Stage One outlined in its Full Business Case is £1.3bn.

Plans, including costs for the other connection stages are at an early stage of maturity and still in development. We will release further details in due course.