Our approach to powering the trains

Protecting the environment is a key part of decision-making and we remain committed to our environmental principles  outlined as part of the 2021 consultation. 

We have developed the Environmental  Sustainability Strategy, which you can read  more about on our website or in the Our  approach to the environment fact sheet. This includes our ambition to be an operationally  net zero carbon railway between Oxford and Cambridge, supporting the government’s  commitment to be net zero by 2050. 

In alignment with this, our proposals include electrification of the railway. The overhead  line electrification to power our trains could be done either by what is known as “discontinuous electrification”, or full  electrification. Our preference is to use  discontinuous electrification.

This would require an overhead line  electrification system to power the trains, which would involve a network of wires above  the tracks to supply electric power to the trains. With discontinuous electrification,  overhead lines would be installed only along  some sections of the route. In sections where  there would be no overhead lines, the trains  would use onboard batteries for power. Full  electrification would require overhead lines to be installed along the whole length of the route. This would be more expensive and involve more  significant and disruptive works to existing  railway structures such as road bridges.

Hybrid battery-electric trains would use the  discontinuous electrification system, which is a relatively new form of technology. As such,  we are doing further work to confirm whether  our current preference for discontinuous  electrification needs further refinement, and the extent of electrification required,  particularly in sections of the route that would use the existing rail corridor.

Introducing services as quickly as possible

To help local communities enjoy access to faster public transport links as quickly as  possible, we are introducing some services as  early as 2025. This means that diesel passenger trains will be used temporarily between Oxford  and Bletchley/Milton Keynes from 2025 until  overhead electrification has been installed. The same approach is likely to be needed for the service between Oxford and Bedford  which will operate before the new railway  between Bedford and Cambridge, including the  overhead electric line system, is complete.

This temporary solution would enable  passenger services to operate as and when  sections of the route are built, which would in  turn take more cars off the roads sooner and  help us deliver the benefits of East West Rail to communities as soon as possible.