Businesses back East West Rail as a catalyst for tourism growth  

With the school holiday underway, businesses and tourism leaders in the region have backed East West Rail as a major opportunity to boost visitor numbers and support economic growth by making it easier for people to travel between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.   

The improved connectivity that EWR will provide, including its key interchanges with the UK’s major railway lines, will bring visitor attractions in the towns and cities served by the railway within easier reach for people living both in and outside the region.   

By 2050, East West Rail is set to boost the regional economies of the counties between Oxford and Cambridge by £6.7 billion every year. Businesses say EWR will drive economic growth through increased footfall, which will boost the local tourist trade along with the hospitality and retail sectors, particularly during school holidays.  

One of the most talked-about tourist attractions that East West Rail will help people travel to is the Universal United Kingdom Resort being built just outside Bedford. East West Rail plans to deliver a new station at Stewartby to serve both local communities and the new resort.  It’s expected the new theme park and resort will become one of the most visited attractions in the UK, drawing millions of visitors, including those from abroad, every year and generating around £50bn of economic benefit to the UK during construction and the first 25 years of operation.   

Once the whole route to Cambridge is opened up, EWR will connect with five major rail routes: the Midland Main Line, West Coast Main Line, East Coast Main Line, West Anglia Main Line and connections to the Great Western Railway.     

These interchanges will help people living outside the region to visit some of the best-loved destinations located in and around the towns and cities served by EWR. These include:  

  • the world-renowned Oxford and Cambridge universities with passengers able to travel between the two cities in around 90 minutes 
  • designer outlet shopping centre Bicester Village - the UK’s second largest tourist destination after Buckingham Palace, attracting over seven million shoppers every year 
  • the Second World War codebreakers’ home at Bletchley Park which attracts over 250,000 people a year 
  • Stadium MK - home of Milton Keynes Dons Football Club and concert venue able to host 35,000 people 
  • Bedford River Festival - the second largest free outdoor event of its kind in the UK after Notting Hill Carnival, attracting more than 250,000 people.   

Lesley Wright, Head of Marketing and Partnership Services, Experience Oxfordshire, said: “It's been over 50 years since Oxford and the county has been connected from the east by rail, so we're really excited to hear about these developments. It will allow the towns of Bedford, Milton Keynes and Bicester to be connected into Oxford and the wider county, and, of course, the two university cities of Oxford and Cambridge to be connected. We're excited that East West Rail will bring increased footfall into Oxford and Oxfordshire, supporting local visitor economy businesses and bringing growth into the region.”    

John Durnin, Group Retail Director, Bicester Village, said: “East West Rail is absolutely critical for us to be able to build on what we have already generated. We will be able to extend across the region, invite more guests and visitors to this region which will not only build our own growth and economy, but I think will also help the region’s growth and economy.” 

Lauren Townsend, Deputy Leader, Milton Keynes City Council, said: “East West Rail and the proposed eastern entrance at Bletchley station will make it much more accessible and easier for people visiting the area, and there are a number of reasons to visit. We are the home of Bletchley Park, home of the codebreakers; we've got MK Stadium, where there are often events, football games and music events; and the National Museum of Computing is also based in Bletchley.” 

Rebecca Foy, Director of Public Engagement, Bletchley Park, said: “East West Rail is really going to create an opportunity for Bletchley Park as a museum and heritage attraction to attract people on the old Varsity Line from Oxford and Cambridge and all the locations in between to come and visit us.”  

Tom Webb, Hotel Manager, Bedford Swan Hotel and Spa, said: “For us with Universal coming in, we’re going to see a lot more people coming to the town and travelling to us, looking for work, boosting the economy - EWR is going to help with that as well. We’re going to be able to reach all four points of the country now so north, east, south and west and people are going to be able to go to places they have never been before - and come into Bedford as well. It’s not just going to be a commuter town now; people are going to be commuting to us.”  

Sophie Warburton, tour guide, Scudamore’s Punting, Cambridge, said: “I think it would impact our company to have a railway from Oxford to Cambridge, and I think the economy of Cambridge as well. Tourism is important to Cambridge and to Scudamore’s as we do rely on it, so we're hoping any changes to transportation will boost our company, as well as Cambridge itself. We do have people from all over the world come to Scudamore’s to go punting.”  

David Hughes, CEO, East West Railway Company, said: “East West Rail will improve connectivity and drive economic growth, enabling people to travel easily and sustainably to the wide variety of tourist destinations along the route, from both nearby locations and further afield. The UK’s first Universal Studios will be a huge visitor attraction on the East West Rail route and we look forward to people using EWR to travel to this new theme park and other tourist destinations between Oxford and Cambridge.” 

  

Ends  

 

Tourism profiles    

Oxford  

Oxford is the tourism gateway to the rest of Oxfordshire and attracts arounds seven million daytime and staying visitors per year, generating £780 million of income for local Oxford businesses. Tourism’s contribution to Oxfordshire can be seen in a report by Experience Oxfordshire.   

Milton Keynes  

Milton Keynes attracts a high number of visitors, with a report indicating that it draws around twice as many visitors as expected for its size, making it a popular leisure destination.    

Bedford  

Bedford Borough attracts an estimated around three million visitor trips each year, generating approximately £220 million for the local economy and supporting around 3,800 jobs, according to the borough's STEAM visitor economy assessment. This is expected to change dramatically when Universal United Kingdom Resort opens, which is forecast to attract around 8.5 million visitors annually, potentially more than tripling the borough's existing tourism volume.   

Cambridge  

Cambridge attracts over 7.6 million visitors a year, worth over £2 billion to the local economy. An estimated 900,000 people go punting each year in Cambridge. Cambridge was also crowned the "UK's best city for living" in the 2024 Vitality Index.  

Notes to Editor  

Media assets  

A video featuring interviews with tourism and businesses about how East West Rail will help boost local economies along the route is available here. Images of popular destinations mentioned in the press release are available via this link.  

Media contacts:   

  • Press office phone: 0330 134 0053       

 

About the East West Rail Project     

The East West Rail Project is a once in a generation opportunity to connect people and businesses between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge through a new direct rail line. It is a railway with community at its heart that will open up new journeys, cut travel times, and ease congestion on local roads. The route will connect people to the things and places that matter, bringing local benefit and sustainable growth by unlocking the social and economic potential of the area.            

The East West Rail Project will be delivered in different phases. Network Rail was responsible for developing the first part of the first phase between Oxford and Milton Keynes, connecting Oxford with Bicester before the East West Rail Company (EWR co) was set up. Between 2018 and 2024, EWR Co and Network Rail partnered in a construction alliance, East West Rail Alliance, to complete the infrastructure to Bletchley. Chiltern Railways has taken over as the operator of this section and are working to start passenger services as soon as possible.          

To deliver the railway onwards from Bletchley to Bedford and Cambridge, a new railway needs to be constructed between Bedford and Cambridge, and associated works are needed between Oxford and Bedford to upgrade and refurbish the existing railway infrastructure. EWR Co proposes to make an application to the Secretary of State for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to permit the construction and operation of these works.       

     

About the East West Railway Company        

The East West Railway Company (EWR Co) is a non-departmental public body with limited company status set up by the Secretary of State for Transport in 2017 to deliver the East West Rail (EWR) Project.               

The corridor, which runs from Oxford through Milton Keynes and Bedford to Cambridge, is an economic artery that makes the UK a global leader in life sciences, technology and innovation, with the potential to create jobs, drive growth and attract investment for the entire country. EWR Co’s ambition is to unlock the full potential of this region that is vital to keeping the UK globally competitive in a way that considers the environment and offers value for taxpayers.      

East West Rail (EWR) will unlock access to jobs and space for businesses to grow, regenerate town centres, improve connectivity across the region and the rest of the UK, and support new affordable housing.