East West Rail

East West Rail is a major project to "establish a strategic railway connecting East Anglia with Central, Southern and Western England".

East West Rail Western map

In particular, it plans to build (or rebuild) a new line linking Oxford and Cambridge via Bicester, Milton Keynes (at Bletchley) and Bedford. It will largely use existing (but closed) railway lines. It will provides a route between any or all of the Great Western, Chiltern, West Coast, Midland, East Coast, West Anglia and Great Eastern main lines, avoiding London. The new line will provide a route for potential new services between Southampton Central and Ipswich or Norwich via Reading, Didcot and Ely, using existing onward lines. The western section from Oxford to Bedford was approved by the Government in November 2011, with completion of this section expected by 2025.

The segment from Oxford via Bicester Village to the junction with the Chiltern Main Line became operational in December 2016. Electrification of the line is not planned.

Sections

The plan is divided into three sections:

• "Western section" from Oxford to Bedford on existing lines, including the mothballed section between Bletchley and Claydon Junction. The scope of this section includes a branch line to Aylesbury
• "Central section" from Bedford to Cambridge using some existing lines together with a new section
• "Eastern section" from Cambridge to Norwich, Felixstowe and Ipswich on existing lines.