East-West Rail (EWR) countdown to entry into service

[A S Leib]

East West Rail reopening delayed until later this year

The start of train services between Bicester, Bletchley and Milton Keynes is set to be delayed until later this year, although test trains ran successfully on the line last October.

The Department for Transport had already announced that Chiltern Railways, which is set to be renationalised by 2027, will provide the services using six Class 196 units, but at the time it did not reveal the start date.

The update about a launch came during an event at the Railway Civil Engineers' Association in London yesterday.

Uncertainty remains about the next stage of the project to upgrade the existing double track line between Bletchley and Bedford, which was the only section of the former Varsity Line to escape closure in British Rail days.

Chiltern has been training crews with special movements between Bletchley High Level, Fenny Stratford and Bletchley depot, which involve reversing at Fenny Stratford. The training route includes the single line over Fenny Stratford viaduct, and the line is thought to be a candidate for doubling to avoid a bottleneck when services eventually start running between Oxford and Bedford.

https://railnews.mobi/news/2025/04/25-east-west-rail-opening-delayed.html

I didn't think it would happen with the May timetable change to begin with, even with e.g. the Northumberland line only being announced around two weeks in advance. If not May, would it have to wait for December, or could it be any earlier?

 

[The Planner]

East West Rail reopening delayed until later this year

https://railnews.mobi/news/2025/04/25-east-west-rail-opening-delayed.html

I didn't think it would happen with the May timetable change to begin with, even with e.g. the Northumberland line only being announced around two weeks in advance. If not May, would it have to wait for December, or could it be any earlier?

It can start whenever if the paths are in.

 

[Zomboid]

The paths are in RTT from June, and there's no commitment other than "in 2025". So it'll start when the trains and staff are ready.

 

[fishwomp]

[.]and there's no commitment other than "in 2025". So it'll start when the trains and staff are ready.

This really is a disappointment. Imagine if they'd spent a £1bn on a hospital, and hadn't figured out who would run it, who would work at it, (and who would open and shut the doors?) and delayed opening it for best part of a year..

At least freight is getting to use it.

Would be handy to have an open-access operator for a few months - something unique rather than another open-access on ECML.. so far, the only revenue earning workings are a pair of 33s and a thumper..

 

[Zomboid]

This really is a disappointment. Imagine if they'd spent a £1bn on a hospital, and hadn't figured out who would run it, who would work at it, (and who would open and shut the doors?) and delayed opening it for best part of a year..

At least freight is getting to use it.

Would be handy to have an open-access operator for a few months - something unique rather than another open-access on ECML.. so far, the only revenue earning workings are a pair of 33s and a thumper..

I expect they'll open it before December, but you're right, it's not a great look to have the thing built and ready so long before actually starting service. It does take time to train people, but it's like the DfT were taken by surprise when EWR handed it over.

 

[fishwomp]

I expect they'll open it before December, but you're right, it's not a great look to have the thing built and ready so long before actually starting service. It does take time to train people, but it's like the DfT were taken by surprise when EWR handed it over.

I wouldn't be disappointed if they could run a thumper and a pair of 33s until they're ready with the 'real' operator.. think I could find a few urgent reasons to travel

 

[Zomboid]

I wouldn't be disappointed if they could run a thumper and a pair of 33s until they're ready with the 'real' operator.. think I could find a few urgent reasons to travel

I'd take it, will be more fun than a 196.

 

[DavidGrain]

I have moved this to a different tread

 

[DarloRich]

At least freight is getting to use it.

Oh! What freight is using E-W? I have only seen NR trains

 

[Class15]

Oh! What freight is using E-W? I have only seen NR trains

I’m not actually aware of anything having run already but there are planned Northampton Gateway - Southampton services plus diversions of the Daventry - Dollands Moor ‘Water train’ - to save a circuitous route via Walsall and Leamington Spa to Oxford.

 

[Sun Chariot]

I’m not actually aware of anything having run already but there are planned Northampton Gateway - Southampton services plus diversions of the Daventry - Dollands Moor ‘Water train’

Out of interest, when are the Noton - Soton freight services indicatively planned to start? I haven't seen details on that (possibly on an earlier post in this thread?). It means I can plan a few photos, when I visit my elderly parents who live near the route.

 

[Class15]

Out of interest, when are the Noton - Soton freight services indicatively planned to start? I haven't seen details on that (possibly on an earlier post in this thread?). It means I can plan a few photos, when I visit my elderly parents who live near the route.

Really sorry but I’m afraid I don’t have that info. They are now in the schedule though (which they weren’t a couple of weeks ago)

 

[fishwomp]

Oh! What freight is using E-W? I have only seen NR trains

None yet, but I've seen a few scheduled and we've covered somewhere else - may have been on a different thread or earlier on this. There are more now than was listed a couple of months ago -but IIRC from some point in May, and none have run yet.
The freight flows thread ( https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/rail-freight-flows-and-news-uk.195217/page-62#post-7262129 ) notes some Didcot to Northampton route learners this coming week.

In terms of new workings: in addition to those Northampton to Southampton... on 6th and 7th May there are quite a few freights! Ditton to Soton, Hams Hall to Eastleigh, Swindon EMR to Liverpool EMR,

 

[BlueLeanie]

This really is a disappointment. Imagine if they'd spent a £1bn on a hospital, and hadn't figured out who would run it, who would work at it, (and who would open and shut the doors?) and delayed opening it for best part of a year..

Isn't that practically an episode of "Yes Minister"?

I wouldn't be disappointed if they could run a thumper and a pair of 33s until they're ready with the 'real' operator.. think I could find a few urgent reasons to travel

I appreciate it's just joking around, but would that be technically possible?

Could one of the operators like West Coast hire in some of the stored 153s and run a "Bicester Village shuttle" between Bletchley Upper (or Milton Keynes) and Oxford for the whole summer?

Or even a "Steam to Bletchley Park" from Oxford service for summer 2025 only?

I suspect with the latter you could fill every train with Oxford's summer tourists.

 

[Zomboid]

I appreciate it's just joking around, but would that be technically possible

The Hastings unit has been over the line, so yes.
Wouldn't meet the timetable that's planned, but if someone wanted to do something it could work.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I appreciate it's just joking around, but would that be technically possible?

Could one of the operators like West Coast hire in some of the stored 153s and run a "Bicester Village shuttle" between Bletchley Upper (or Milton Keynes) and Oxford for the whole summer?

I think the answer to that is yes, like LSL running the Friday only Euston - Manchester to take up some spare capacity during Avanti's troubles, or having a go at the Jabobite during the door issues.

LSL wouldn't even need to hire in any units, they could just send 142003 (the orange one), although ths is probably not going to happen, it probably wouldn't be profitable.

 

[The Planner]

Isn't that practically an episode of "Yes Minister"?



I appreciate it's just joking around, but would that be technically possible?

Could one of the operators like West Coast hire in some of the stored 153s and run a "Bicester Village shuttle" between Bletchley Upper (or Milton Keynes) and Oxford for the whole summer?

Or even a "Steam to Bletchley Park" from Oxford service for summer 2025 only?

I suspect with the latter you could fill every train with Oxford's summer tourists.

They would have to sell the tickets direct if it was their enterprise.

 

[Robin Edwards]

Good to see freight / loco moves now using the Bletchley - Oxford line. I saw 66122 on 0Z71 Northampton - Hinksey today.

 

[DavidGrain]

Good to see freight / loco moves now using the Bletchley - Oxford line. I saw 66122 on 0Z71 Northampton - Hinksey today.

Also running today light engine movement with 2 round trips over the EWR section so l would guess route learning. Also a Chiltern 165 out on route learning.

 

[sqwizz]

The 0Z runs have been going on for quite a while now, but I haven't seen any proper freight being pulled yet.
Here's the 66122 as mentioned above plus some 165s.

 

[Sun Chariot]

The 0Z runs have been going on for quite a while now, but I haven't seen any proper freight being pulled yet.
Here's the 66122 as mentioned above plus some 165s.

Nice one @sqwizz I'm up that way on Wednesday, for MK Hospital visit. Plus, if I get my journey on time, one of the 66 EWR paths and the Quainton aggregates.

 

[fishwomp]

The 0Z runs have been going on for quite a while now, but I haven't seen any proper freight being pulled yet.

First ones look like this coming Monday.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Winslow all day on 19/05/2025

Train information at Winslow all day on 19/05/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[zwk500]

First ones look like this coming Monday.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Winslow all day on 19/05/2025

Train information at Winslow all day on 19/05/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Isn't that just the start of the May WTT? I'm fairly sure there won't be anything running into Northampton Gateway next week, the Sectional Appendix still shows the connections Out of Use.

 

[Class 170101]

May be diverted to Daventry or elsewhere if it can be pathed beyond there.

 

[zwk500]

May be diverted to Daventry or elsewhere if it can be pathed beyond there.

They're presumably in there to protect the capacity for when it does open. They might choose to use it for another flow if needed but I'd have thought they'll have the paths for Daventry separately as well?

 

[Class15]

May be diverted to Daventry or elsewhere if it can be pathed beyond there.

Why? If they don’t need to send it to Daventry, they won’t just because they have a path.

 

[DavidGrain]

At a public meeting I attended last night, I learned that 6 class 196s were always intended for the Oxford - MKC route and were tacked onto the WMR order with the intention that they would be subleased to who ever was the operator for an initial 2 year term. This contradicts some reports I have seen that the 6 units were requisitioned from WMR by the Department for Transport.

 

[Peter Sarf]

At a public meeting I attended last night, I learned that 6 class 196s were always intended for the Oxford - MKC route and were tacked onto the WMR order with the intention that they would be subleased to who ever was the operator for an initial 2 year term. This contradicts some reports I have seen that the 6 units were requisitioned from WMR by the Department for Transport.

Yes. That was always a myth that I never saw any proof of. From this forum it seemed early on that the order for twelve 196/0s was because six were required for EWR, I never saw mention of any plan for the use of upto twelve 96/0s within Birmingham.

 

[fishwomp]

There really doesn't seem to be a hurry on passenger openings. This week has been very poor for learning runs.

There are no scheduled Chiltern runs at all today on the line, there was only one return run yesterday (a 165). The shadow service shows as cancelled for next week.

Plenty of training for the freight (daily working), including today.

 

[Zomboid]

Half term is probably a factor this week, you'd expect there to be more leave to work around.