How East West Rail would benefit Bicester
East West Rail would make it easier to connect with other parts of the UK and get around the local area with affordable connections, easing congestion on local roads. A new rail link would increase the opportunity to travel for work, while stimulating employment locally and supporting plans to improve the town centre.
Bicester would benefit from the region’s uplift and be better connected to a market of nearly four million people. The new railway would create economic opportunity for everyone, which could be worth over £100 billion in additional value every year by 2050.
East West Rail would make it easier to travel by train with affordable, regular services through Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Bedford and across the region – making everyday journeys much easier.
With more frequent and affordable direct services to Oxford and Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Bedford, EWR would mean less congestion on Bicester’s busy roads and better air quality – making everyday journeys like the school-run, shopping trips and local appointments more pleasant.
A new rail link would bring regular, fast and affordable transport to Bicester with trains that connect communities across the region from east to west.
EWR would connect to most of the north-south main lines making it easier to get to the rest of the UK from Bicester, bringing family, friends and days out closer. Enjoy the UK’s most-loved destinations by train, from a country escape in East Anglia to the medieval streets of York. Easy interchange with other train lines also means better connections to UK airports such as Luton, Stansted and Birmingham, making overseas destinations more accessible.
EWR would provide new direct connections to Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, as well as twice as many trains to Oxford. Better connections would provide Bicester residents with better access to jobs and opportunities at all levels across the region, while attracting more employers to the area which would help Bicester and the town centre thrive.
One of our aims is to foster inclusive, local economic growth, giving communities improved access to education and skills with both local and national opportunities.
What work is required in the Bicester area?
We’re undertaking further studies and technical assessments of three potential options for London Road level crossing in order to identify the best solution.
Works to connect the railway between Bicester and Bletchley is almost complete and the Department for Transport is currently in the process of procuring an operator to run these services from 2025.
We’re continuing work to identify the most suitable locations for passing loop between Oxford and Bletchley which would allow faster trains to overtake slower stopping services safely.
Why are we proposing this work?
We recognise that London Road level crossing provides a vital route for people to get into the town centre on foot, by bicycle, public transport and car. Once all EWR services are introduced on the line, the barriers are expected to be down for a significant portion in every hour. At the route update announcement, we set out how we are trying to address several competing priorities in relation to the London Road level crossing.
We highlighted that:
- We recognise the importance of connectivity in Bicester.
- The barriers are currently down for approximately 10 minutes per house while trains are running.
- With the addition of East West Rail services, the barriers would need to be down for much more time, resulting in significantly increased waiting times for people.
Our preferred solution would be to divert traffic via existing and upgraded roads. The level crossing would be replaced by a bridge or underpass for pedestrian, cyclists and other users. Further details can be found in the Consultation Document.
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What’s next?
The rebuilt section of the line between Bicester and Bletchley was completed by the East West Rail Alliance and handed over to Network Rail in December 2024 and is now part of the national network.
Chiltern Railways was announced as the operator of the line in March 2025 and is working closely with the Department of Transport to finalise these arrangements and start services as soon as possible.
