Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled East West Rail services planned to begin this year as Chiltern Railways named operator, published on 25 March 2025, when she expects (a) passenger services between Oxford and Milton Keynes to begin, (b) the new station at Winslow to open, (c) the works to upgrade Bletchley station to be completed and (d) services to (i) Bedford and (ii) Cambridge to be extended.

The Department is working closely with Chiltern Railways and other partners to confirm a start date for the service. We are looking forward to commencing services as soon as all necessary authorisations and agreements are in place. Passenger services, including services to Winslow, will commence once train testing and driver training have been completed. Work on an additional high-level platform at Bletchley is now complete.

Services between Oxford to Bedford via the Marston Vale Line will commence from 2030 with the full Oxford to Cambridge services beginning in the mid 2030s.