The East West Railway Company (EWR Co) has announced its plans for the next stage of the infrastructure project, which include more frequent trains and several new stations.
East West Rail is one of the largest transport projects in Britain, and will deliver a new high-capacity railway service running from Oxford to Cambridge to unlock growth in the Ox-Cam corridor and enable new homes and jobs along the route.
The project consulted extensively with the community and has now revealed the next stage of its plans, which include increasing the proposed frequency of trains running on the line from 3 or 4 per hour up to five per hour.
The new plans will see 70% more seating provided across the route, easing any overcrowding issues, and reduced average wait times for passengers.
New station entrances will be constructed at Bletchley, Cambridge, and Bedford, and four brand-new stations will be build along the Marston Vale line.
Currently, stations on the Marston Vale line are among the least used in the country, and the project aims to better serve local communities by offering new stations and more frequent services to improve adoption.
There will also be a new station at Stewartby to serve the upcoming Universal theme park, which the government hopes will welcome 8.5 million visitors in its first year alone.
EWR has also revealed it will deliver seven new stations and will use hybrid battery-electric trains on its railway to deliver faster and more energy efficient services along its partially electrified route.
The project will see a new eastern entrance constructed at Cambridge Central, as well as a new Cambridge East station, which will reduce congestion and drive economic growth in the area.
The station at Cambridge East will connect to the newly upgraded Newmarket line, offering direct links to Norwich, Felixstowe, and Ipswich.
The government said that today’s announcement from EWR plays a formative role in its mission to turn the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor into ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’.
“East West Rail is more than a railway – it’s a catalyst for growth, more jobs and opportunity, and this project will make rail travel faster, greener and more reliable for millions of passengers,” said Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.
“By investing in modern infrastructure, we’re laying the foundations for long-term prosperity in one of the UK’s most dynamic regions while ensuring that the UK has a rail network passengers can be proud of.”
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