East-West Rail (EWR): Consultation updates [not speculation]

[eastdyke]

.....
General:
Up to 5tph, and looking to increase train lengths to 5 carriages

5 cars? Bletchley HL was/is built for 4 cars, extendable to 8 [in theory].

2017 is a very long time ago!

But not as long ago as 1995. The concept of EWR was 'invented' in the East.
From 'WayBack machine':

EastWestRail - Consortium

East West Rail Consortium was formed in 1995 with the objective of promoting and securing a strategic railway connecting East Anglia with Central, Southern and Western England, including a spur to Aylesbury. The Consortium was established by Ipswich Borough Council who provided the chairman until 2005 ..........

 

[td97]

I too have never seen any previous mention beyond Cambridge in any EWR documents.

Part of the southern approach to Cambridge justification is future expansion of services to East of England

 

[Royston Vasey]

Part of the southern approach to Cambridge justification is future expansion of services to East of England

That's the least of their worries I would guess, given the constraints past Cambridge in every direction, but that's a good thing nevertheless. I had assumed that accessing Cambridge was essential and any connectivity beyond was a corollary benefit. Connectivity, rather than direct connections that is.

It's a remarkable thing, in the modern railway, that despite NIMBY opposition, a project team is so far sighted, unified and strategic that they are considering these things and they are given the space by HMG to quietly get on with it. If this lot ended up running GBR's version of Regional Railways I would be quite happy.

Contrast that to the costs, overruns and meddling involved in that new Digbeth to Acton relief line.

 

[InTheEastMids]

5 cars? Bletchley HL was/is built for 4 cars, extendable to 8 [in theory].

From the previously linked EWR reports

• We’re also exploring options to lengthen our passenger trains to increase the number of seats on each service, which could mean increasing from four to five carriages.

 

[Magdalia]

Part of the southern approach to Cambridge justification is future expansion of services to East of England

The 2023 route update report said this:

A southern approach provides the only solution to fully unlock economic opportunities that can be realised through EWR. Our high-level investigations since the 2021 consultation indicate that a northern approach may potentially be cheaper to build and quicker to construct, and have less potential environment impact, but it wouldn’t be an alternative to a southern approach in terms of economic growth. Whilst options to serve Cambridge South station using a northern approach perform poorly, the southern approach both serves Cambridge South station fully and provides an option to extend services to serve Cambridge North station directly, serving all three Cambridge stations, as well as locations further north and east. This is in line with stakeholder aspirations for future connectivity further east, although extensions east of Cambridge are not currently within the scope of this Project.

The justification for the southern approach is economic growth, and especially serving Cambridge South. It is clear that extensions beyond Cambridge are not within scope.

 

[Magdalia]

A councillor Adam Zerny posted on Facebook


View attachment 192256

This looks like it was a leak of what is in sections 4.9.1 and 4.9.2 of today's you said we did report.

It confirms alignment 1c:

Taking account of the consultation feedback and the outcome of further assessments and design development, we’ve selected Alignment 1c as the proposed alignment.

Alignment 1c would be a more cost-effective solution as it is a shorter route with a shorter length of viaduct than Alignment 1b. It would be less disruptive to the highway network during construction than Alignment 1b because it would not need to cross either the existing or the new A421 dual carriageway. Not needing to make this crossing would also mean that the alignment would be generally lower than Alignment 1b, with further opportunities to lower the alignment in places, as described in Chapter 4.9.4.

We’ve also carried out further work to understand how the proposals for Alignment 1c could maximise economic growth in the Tempsford area. We’ve updated the design to include an additional entrance to the south of the new A421 dual carriageway to help unlock economic growth. We’ve also been working with stakeholders to explore how the design of the station could support other improvements in the local area, such as how the station could link to nearby communities through active travel options such as cycling or walking.

and says this about timing:

The station at Tempsford is proposed to serve both EWR and the East Coast Main Line. In January 2025, the government announced its intention to deliver the East Coast Main Line part of the station ahead of the full delivery of the EWR station.

This would bring some of the benefits of the EWR project to the Tempsford area sooner, with a phased introduction of transport connections that would ultimately lead to a north-south-eastwest hub – improving connectivity for existing and new communities and developments on both sides of the East Coast Main Line and new A421 dual carriageway.

We’re working with Network Rail to accelerate the development of our design for the station. We’ve updated the design to allow a phased delivery of the station that would minimise disruption as later parts serving East West Rail are built, while making sure that passengers can easily switch between the two lines once both are finished.

 

[td97]

The 2023 route update report said this:


The justification for the southern approach is economic growth, and especially serving Cambridge South. It is clear that extensions beyond Cambridge are not within scope.

From the 2024 NSC. Statements with such high promise would not be published if there was not serious work ongoing to address this.

This matter would not cause us to re-open its decision to prefer the Southern Approach to Cambridge which provides scope for greater connectivity to the new Cambridge South station, unlocking constraints on growth at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, as well as greater flexibility to extend EWR services further north and east of Cambridge in the future.

https://eastwestrail.co.uk/consultationfeedbackreport/chapter-3-approach-to-cambridge

 

[Magdalia]

Is Tempsford station being designed only with platforms on the ECML slow lines?

Yes, hopefully this copy and paste will illustrate.

We’re working with Network Rail to accelerate the development of our design for the station. We’ve updated the design to allow a phased delivery of the station that would minimise disruption as later parts serving East West Rail are built, while making sure that passengers can easily switch between the two lines once both are finished.

Figure 23: Illustration of proposed Tempsford station

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Nov 2025 ==

One feature not mentioned yet is Cambourne. Today's document proposes a different location for the station about 700m west of what was in the 2024 consultation.

In response to the consultation feedback, we’ve reviewed the station location. By moving the station location from where we presented at the consultation to a location north-east of the A428/Cambourne Road double roundabout, it would be expected to:

• Enable a greater degree of growth and development of Cambourne due its location nearer to the centre of Cambourne and A428 road connections and fewer constraints from ancient woodland.
• Be more consistent with Local Plans, as it would avoid constructing on green space.
• Have a lower environmental impact than the current option, as it moves the station further away from Knapwell Wood.
• Be preferred by communities and stakeholders, based on the consultation feedback we’ve

We’ve therefore decided to move Cambourne station approximately 700 metres west to this location north-east of the Cambourne Road/A428 double roundabout.

In another part of the forest, Greater Cambridge Local Panning recently produced a Spatial Framework Strategy for Cambourne:

https://consultations.greatercambridgeplanning.org/sites/gcp/files/2025-10/EBGCLPCPFSP1Oct25.pdf

The Spatial Framework Strategy describes the opportunity to grow Cambourne to become a thriving regional town which is renowned for its natural environment. The arrival of East West Rail (EWR) and the Cambourne to Cambridge public transport scheme (CtoC) will increase the accessibility of Cambourne by public transport to Cambridge, Bedford, Milton Keynes and Oxford. This creates an opportunity for Cambourne to grow and provide new homes and jobs which will benefit from the improved connectivity. The concept diagram illustrates the spatial form which Cambourne’s expansion could take and describes the type of place it could be, supporting new neighbourhoods connected by a robust set of landscape features.

In particular this proposes a big expansion of Cambourne, north of EWR and the A428, towards Knapwell and Papworth Everard. Local discussion has talked of Cambourne growing to be "as big as Durham or Tunbridge Wells", both of which have a population of about 50k.

 

[lachlan]

In particular this proposes a big expansion of Cambourne, north of EWR and the A428, towards Knapwell and Papworth Everard. Local discussion has talked of Cambourne growing to be "as big as Durham or Tunbridge Wells", both of which have a population of about 50k.

A new town with a dual carraigeway through the middle of it sounds far from ideal! The location of the line and station aren't great either but I presume there's a good reason for passing Cambourne to the north, rather than the south.

 

[RT4038]

A new town with a dual carraigeway through the middle of it sounds far from ideal!

Milton Keynes seems to get by without too much trouble....

 

[lachlan]

Milton Keynes seems to get by without too much trouble....

Views on Milton Keynes are rather... mixed. The sound of traffic is very prevalent. Big roads bring noise and pollution which isn't welcome in towns.

 

[camflyer]

A new town with a dual carraigeway through the middle of it sounds far from ideal! The location of the line and station aren't great either but I presume there's a good reason for passing Cambourne to the north, rather than the south.

Plenty of towns have a dual carriageway or motorway through them rather than a by-pass.

The main problem with Cambourne is that if it wants to be the "size of Durham" then it needs a proper town centre something which other new towns have struggled to develop. Even in Milton Keynes, which is probably the UK's most successful new town/city, the centre is just a shopping mall with a lots of parking. Big difference to Durham!

 

[Snow1964]

In another part of the forest, Greater Cambridge Local Panning recently produced a Spatial Framework Strategy for Cambourne:

https://consultations.greatercambridgeplanning.org/sites/gcp/files/2025-10/EBGCLPCPFSP1Oct25.pdf

DfT has now issued new safeguarding for the route

One with maps, and other guidance for planning authorities

East West Rail safeguarding directions

Safeguarding directions for the East West Rail project for local planning authorities.

www.gov.uk

 

[Robin Edwards]

5 cars? Bletchley HL was/is built for 4 cars, extendable to 8 [in theory].

But not as long ago as 1995. The concept of EWR was 'invented' in the East.
From 'WayBack machine':

EastWestRail - Consortium

In the 90s, I was the local Councillor at one of the Parishes between Cambridge & Bedford that the EWR Consortium in Ipswich liaised with. The hidden agenda then I thought was less about passenger rail traffic from Ipswich per se, but more about container freight traffic from Felixstowe having an alternative route to the Midlands and West

 

[Bald Rick]

The lack of a station between Cambridge and Newmarket is a big gap though.

Dullingham says hello!

AIUI, Cambridge East is being ‘investigated’, rather than proposed yet, and would need to be funded by third parties, presumably the developers of the adjacent land.

 

[stuu]

Aetsthetic reasons is not a key driver of the electrification strategy. Power supply constraints, freight loop locations and cost are.

The consultation report mentions visual impact several times, as well as technical/cost factors

 

[bspahh]

The consultation report mentions visual impact several times, as well as technical/cost factors

Its good to mention it in the report, so that it has been documented as an issue. That doesn't mean that it has to have a big impact on a final decision.

 

[Verulamius]

transferred to speculation thread

 

[Cowley]

I’m just trying to have a bit of a tidy up here as this thread hasn’t been discussing much related to the consultation recently, so I think we’ll lock it for now but get in touch if there’s anything relevant to add.

Most of the speculative discussion has been moved to here:

East-West Rail (EWR) full route Oxford to Cambridge speculation

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/east-west-rail-ewr-countdown-to-entry-into-service.275902/ It won't be long before our Government display interest again in investment made in the Oxford-Cambridge arc, and will need re-reminding that we still struggle to run a...

www.railforums.co.uk

There’s also this thread discussing Chilterns involvement:

Chiltern Railways selected as operator for the first stage of East West Rail - Oxford to Milton Keynes

Update from Chiltern yesterday: https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/oxford-to-miltonkeynes **East West Rail - Oxford to Milton Keynes – Passenger Service Update – November 2025** Since being announced as operator of the first stage of East West Rail between Oxford and Milton Keynes in March...

www.railforums.co.uk

As mentioned in this thread (which is now locked), for the time being we won’t be having a thread on DOO, but that’s not to say we never will.

Thanks!

 

[td97]

A presentation is available online with some additional details in the Croxton to Toft section. It seems this from a specific engagement meeting with "Enhanced Local Representative Groups"
The key topics are
Slide 13 - changes to consultation due to Planning & Infrastructure Bill (but light on details)
Slide 19 - summary of environmental changes, most are expanded below.
Slide 23 - Cambourne station new location aligns with development opportunity and connection to Cambourne town
Slide 24 - change from Cut + Cover to mined tunnel at the Bourne Airfield development
Slide 25, 25, 27 - some details about green bridges. If anything like HS2's, these are for birds, mammals, and insects crossing the line.

https://assets.eastwestrail.co.uk/public/ListsBlockMedia/7370e650d5/Meeting-2-Slides-v3.pdf

 

[Magdalia]

News on the Universal Theme Park, the Secretary of State for Housing etc has issued a Special Development Order (SDO) see BBC report here:

Universal Studios gets green light to be built in Bedfordshire

The park is expected to attract more than eight million annual visitors and open in 2031.

www.bbc.co.uk

Planning permission has been granted to build the first Universal Studios theme park in the UK.

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government issued a Special Development Order (SDO) for the complex to be constructed in Kempston Hardwick, close to Bedford.

Universal had sought planning permission through the SDO, which allowed the government to approve the project directly and bypass standard local planning procedures.

The entertainment company said the "transformative" project was expected to attract more than eight million visitors a year and could open by 2031.

Transport implications are mentioned in the report:

Universal said it was "poised to become one of the region's largest employers, creating 20,000 construction jobs and 8,000 permanent positions once operational, with approximately 80% of all jobs going to local workers".

"The project will help deliver key transportation upgrades, including an expanded Wixams railway station and new direct slip roads from the A421."

Work to build a new railway station at Wixams started in August 2024, but it was put on hold to allow a bigger station to be built to accommodate Universal.

Last month, East West Rail Company (EWR Co) said a new railway station would be built to serve the park in Stewartby.

National Highways confirmed there would be upgrades to the transport network in the area, which would include a new link road off the A421.

 

[al green]

News on the Universal Theme Park, the Secretary of State for Housing etc has issued a Special Development Order (SDO) see BBC report here:

Universal Studios gets green light to be built in Bedfordshire

The park is expected to attract more than eight million annual visitors and open in 2031.

www.bbc.co.uk

Transport implications are mentioned in the report:

SDO doesn't seem to be on MCHLG website yet. But here is my submission to the consultation, focussing on EWR.
https://mkgreens.org/News/Details/12
(unable to post earlier because mod had closed thread)

 

[Edvid]

SDO doesn't seem to be on MCHLG website yet.

The SDO itself (not the associated planning documents) is in the legislation archive.

The Town and Country Planning (Entertainment Resort Complex, Bedford) Special Development Order 2025

This Order grants planning permission for development in, on, under or over certain land near Bedford (the “Order land”). The Order land is shown on a map, a copy of which is available for inspection, by appointment, at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2 Marsham Street...

www.legislation.gov.uk

 

[Verulamius]

I am not sure whether to post this information in this thread - Mods please move if required.

The East West Rail Company submitted a very detailed track access application to Network Rail on 15 December 2025.

https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/sale-of-access-rights/Consultations/Current%20Track%20Access%20Consultations/15.12.2025%20-%20East%20West%20Railway%20Company%20Limited%20-%20Section%2017%20-%20Closes%2012.01.2026/EWR%20Passenger%20Access%20Application%20Form%20P%20(002).pdf

This envisages a total of 5 passenger trains an hour on the route between Oxford and Cambridge:

• 2tph Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes
• 2tph Oxford to Cambridge (potentially extending to a new station at Cambridge East)
• 2tph Bletchley to Cambridge
• 1tph Oxford to Stewartby. This service is intended to be a faster, limited stop service. It could also extend to Cambridge to provide a 5th train path between Stewartby and Cambridge.

New battery electric trains 5 car trains will be acquired.

A rolling stock procurement exercise will be undertaken for 100mph capable up to 120m long (up to 24m coach length) battery electric BEMUs to operate these services. It will also have provision for ASDO (should that be necessary) and APCO capability. Vehicle and route acceptance as per Part F for the Network Code will be undertaken at the appropriate point.

The accompanying letter from the Department of Transport states that EWR will run the services.

DfT has instructed EWR Co to design and deliver the required railway infrastructure for a 5-train per hour passenger service between Oxford and Cambridge. The Track Access Option (TAO) that EWR Co is progressing will therefore safeguard the capacity required to operate EWR services. It is a vital step in protecting the value of taxpayer investment in the line – and has the full support of the DFT.

The rationale for the track access application is as follows:

East West Rail will:
- Reduce journey times. East-west public transport is currently limited to a coach service, which takes 1 hour 50 minutes between Oxford and Milton Keynes at peak times and the bus journey between Bedford to Cambridge takes up to one and a half hours. With EWR, these journey times could be cut to 45 minutes from Oxford to Milton Keynes and would take 35 minutes between Bedford and Cambridge.
- Ease road congestion. Despite being a short distance apart, journeys from towns such as Milton Keynes and Bedford to Oxford and Cambridge take a long time because of congested roads and the lack of public transport. By offering rail travel as an alternative, EWR can help to ease traffic on local roads by reducing people’s reliance on cars. It will also give people more choice, offering more sustainable ways to travel and opportunities to relax or work while travelling.
- Create new connectivity. EWR will offer new journeys to local communities because of its key intersections with most of the UK’s main rail lines – including the East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line – making it easier to get from Milton Keynes to Leeds or Cambridge to Manchester, as well as improved connections to international airports at Luton and Stansted.
- Provide a greener way to travel. EWR would help take cars and lorries off local roads resulting in cleaner air, safer roads and less congestion. The aim for EWR is to become a net zero carbon railway.
- Bring more jobs within reach of local people. It currently takes nearly an hour to travel just 9 miles from Cambourne to Cambridge in the morning rush hour. EWR will reduce this to just 15 minutes. Bedford and Cambridge will be just 35 minutes apart, so EWR will massively expand the number of people within commuting distance of high quality jobs in the region.
- Provide employment. Delivering the line between Oxford and Bletchley/Milton Keynes is expected to directly employ 980 people and support around another 500 in the wider supply chain, bringing around £1.1bn into the local economy in 2021/22. And that’s before the job opportunities that will open up for local people when these areas are connected.
- Open up new areas for businesses to grow. Oxford and Cambridge are bursting at the seams. Connecting them with the fast-growing and less constrained towns and cities in between, like Milton Keynes and Bedford, will make places more appealing for people wanting to start and grow all types of businesses. It will help attract and retain the best talent in the region and bring businesses closer to their supply chains, research sectors, competitors and other sectors, creating wealth and jobs for an area of over 3.8m people.
- Maintain current capacity for rail freight and make appropriate provision for anticipated future growth.

Some details regarding electrification are included

EWR includes new infrastructure being introduced between Bedford and Cambridge, as well as enhanced infrastructure at various locations along the route. The route will be partially electrified with Overhead Line Equipment and operated by BEMUs. Designs and capability for this new and enhanced infrastructure are being developed and modelled with NR specifically at Cambridge, Bedford, Tempsford and Oxford.
To electrify the railway, power supplies will be needed from the National Grid. These will feed substations situated next to the railway, which will then distribute power along the railway via the overhead wires. These substations will be located within secure compounds, with vehicle access for emergencies and maintenance. We are engaging with National Grid and electricity distribution network operators to assess the best ways of connecting East West Rail to the grid. We are looking to use existing infrastructure wherever this is possible. A number of potential substation compound locations are being considered in either Quainton or Steeple Claydon, in Millbrook and in Little Barford areas:
• Quainton – power would come from the existing grid site (at Quainton), via a new East West Rail substation, approximately 6km (4 miles) from the East West Rail route.
• Steeple Claydon – as an alternative to Quainton, power could come from the existing grid site, via a new East West Rail substation, that is situated 1.5km (1 mile) from the East West Rail route beside the disused Metropolitan Railway Line south of Verney Junction.

The application also includes a summary of infrastructure interventions planned for the route, mainly in line with the November update.

 

[D365]

Many thanks for the update @Verulamius

Regarding the following...

The TAO will allow of an earlier ‘draw down’ (exercising) of some or all of the proposed access rights either partially or in full. This is intended to allow for services to operate from the West via Bletchley to Stewartby station in order that demand for travel to the new Universal theme park can be met. Those rights which are drawn down earlier will be subject to the same protections in terms of ensuring performance resilience as those within the final timetable.

In plain English - is this stating that there shall be a possibility of services to Stewartby from/to the West to commence in advance of the route to Bedford/Cambridge being commissioned?

 

[td97]

In plain English - is this stating that there shall be a possibility of services to Stewartby from/to the West to commence in advance of the route to Bedford/Cambridge being commissioned?

Yes

 

[ABB125]

I am not sure whether to post this information in this thread - Mods please move if required.

The East West Rail Company submitted a very detailed track access application to Network Rail on 15 December 2025.

https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/sale-of-access-rights/Consultations/Current%20Track%20Access%20Consultations/15.12.2025%20-%20East%20West%20Railway%20Company%20Limited%20-%20Section%2017%20-%20Closes%2012.01.2026/EWR%20Passenger%20Access%20Application%20Form%20P%20(002).pdf

This envisages a total of 5 passenger trains an hour on the route between Oxford and Cambridge:




View attachment 194895

New battery electric trains 5 car trains will be acquired.



The accompanying letter from the Department of Transport states that EWR will run the services.



The rationale for the track access application is as follows:


Some details regarding electrification are included



The application also includes a summary of infrastructure interventions planned for the route, mainly in line with the November update.

Interesting - is this the most frequent service proposal to date east of Bletchley? I seem to remember the original "plan" (within the last couple of years at least!) was 2tph Oxford to Cambridge plus 2tph Bletchley to Cambridge (plus 1tph Bletchley Bedford stopper as now if all the Marston Vale stations were retained), which then changed to (I think?) 2tph Bletchley Cambridge plus 1tph Oxford Cambridge.

 

[Wyrleybart]

The East West Rail Company submitted a very detailed track access application to Network Rail on 15 December 2025.


View attachment 194895

New battery electric trains 5 car trains will be acquired.

The accompanying letter from the Department of Transport states that EWR will run

This is interesting as it suggests DfT require EWR to design build and operate the rolling stock and the services on the route. Obviously this will be after GBR has completed is takeover of the nascent TOCs - including Chiltern Trains which have yet to commence operation of Oxford - Milton Keynes Central. I assume EWR have signed a fixed term agreement with Chiltern Trains for ther initial period of operation.

Sadly no mention of Claydon Junction to Aylesbury. Is that dead ?

 

[Magdalia]

The East West Rail Company submitted a very detailed track access application to Network Rail on 15 December 2025.

Thanks for finding and sharing this. It isn't something that I would have thought of looking for.

Three things strike me from this version of the timetable:

• there is no Bedford-Bletchley service so the application assumes that the Marston Vale consolidated station option goes ahead
• although previous documents have proposed Cambridge-Stewartby trains, this is the first time I have seen Oxford-Stewartby, and this is likely to be linked to Universal, providing it with a service from the west even if it can't get into Bedford
• this proposal does have more trains, looking from the Cambridge end, we have 2tph to Bletchley and 1tph to Stewartby instead of 1tph to each

 

[flitwickbeds]

Is the station at Stewartby proposed to be relocated as part of EWR/the consolidated stations option? I thought the station for Universal was going to be roughly where the current Kempston Hardwick station is?