UK rail operator Chiltern Railways will run services for the first stage of the new East West Rail link, a major infrastructure project that, once complete, will connect Oxford to Cambridge.
The new line, which is set to begin service later this year, will initially link Oxford and Milton Keynes before extending to Bedford from 2030, and then Cambridge from “the mid-2030s”, according to the UK’s Department for Transport.
The upcoming Oxford-Milton Keynes link will serve six stations, including stops at Winslow (where a new station will reconnect the town to the rail network for the first time since the 1960s), Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village and Bletchley.
David Hughes, CEO of East West Railway Company, said: “This is a huge milestone which will allow Chiltern Railways to deliver a much-needed rail service linking the dynamic cities of Oxford and Milton Keynes, providing new opportunities for commuters and leisure travellers alike.
“This is the first part of East West Rail’s vision to extend services to Bedford and Cambridge, which will transform connectivity across the region and unlock new opportunities for economic growth.”
The next phase of the project, known as ‘Connection Stage Two’, will include upgrades to the Marston Vale line between Bletchley and Bedford, creating an hourly Oxford to Bedford service by 2030.
The final stage of the project will connect to Cambridge via Tempsford, Cambourne and Cambridge South. The East West Rail link is expected to improve connections between East Anglia and central, southern and western England.