East West Rail would help reduce car dependency and congestion, unclogging roads, making it faster and easier to get around locally.   

The railway would also serve Cambridge Biomedical Campus and Addenbrooke's Hospital, better connecting the existing 17,000-strong community of healthcare professionals and research scientists.

Forecasts predict Cambridge could create 80,000 new jobs by 2050, but this growth is constrained because of the existing transport network. Not only does it limit local growth and opportunities, it also limits how far economic benefits can spread.   

New direct commuter connections to Bedford, Milton Keynes and Oxford would support prosperity for all within the Cambridge area, stimulating jobs and opportunities at all levels.     

Connecting employment hubs and communities, EWR has calculated that, if Cambridge’s employment potential is realised, a total of £4bn-5bn GVA per annum could be generated every year by 2050 – that’s over 50% more than its current economic contribution. Our goal is to foster inclusive economic growth, giving communities improved access to education, skills and opportunities at a local and national level.

A new railway would take cars off the road, reducing emissions with journeys that are better for the environment. This would make roads safer as well as improve local air quality. Compared to a car journey, travelling by train can reduce emissions by up to two thirds and our ambition is to be a net zero carbon railway while delivering a 10% boost to biodiversity.   

We are committed to protecting Cambridge’s much-loved landscapes and wildlife, with our greener for the environment one of our key priorities. 

House prices in Cambridge are over 13 times the national average. With new, faster commuter journeys, and entirely new stations at Cambourne and Tempsford, EWR would improve connectivity to nearby areas, making it easier for people working in Cambridge and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus to live in more affordable locations along the line.

Cambourne would be just a 15-minute train journey away, Bedford could be reached in 35 minutes, and other surrounding towns would also benefit. 

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 nearly 4 million people.