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 2021 public consultation we explored a number of concepts at the crossing to keep the town connected and minimise inconvenience, and aiming to improve safety, enable a faster, reliable train service, and reduce traffic disruption. 

Thanks to community feedback, alongside further studies, five of the six concepts presented at the 2021 consultation have been ruled out. Whilst we’ve yet to confirm a preferred solution, we’re now investigating: 

• The potential to maintain the existing crossing for local traffic. To do this, we are looking at the service patterns on this section of the line, as well as possible enhancements at the level crossing. This would most likely require highways works in the vicinity of the crossing to discourage use by non-local traffic.
• The possibility of a new road bridge south or east of the level crossing. We’re working with local stakeholders to identify a suitable location for a new road bridge and exploring the feasibility of using a type of bridge that is constructed off-site and then moved into position using a crane to minimise disruption.
• Accessible routes to cross the railway for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised local traffic. We know how important it is to maintain connections for pedestrians and cyclists and the options we’re exploring include an accessible overbridge at or near the current level crossing; an accessible underpass at or near the current level crossing; and an accessible overbridge that crosses the railway at another location. 

We’re undertaking further studies and technical assessments of these options to identify our preferred option for the London Road level crossing and we’ll present our findings for comment at the statutory consultation. 

Meet your community engagement team

Here at EWR Co, we’re passionate about hearing what local representatives and their communities think about East West Rail. It means we can work together as we build a successful project that will deliver shorter journey times, lower transport costs and ease pressure on local roads while bringing people closer to the things that matter most – jobs, friends and family.

Meet your Community Engagement Manager, Gail Buckland and your Local Representatives Groups Engagement Manager, Sarah Jacobs.

Head over to our community hub where we’ve set up 15 Local Representatives Groups in all areas along the route where we will deliver EWR and have a dedicated page to our events.

Find out more

What’s next? 

We expect trains to start running on this section of the railway to Bletchley/Milton Keynes in late 2025. To build and operate a railway which would extend services from Oxford beyond Bletchley/Milton Keynes, we need to apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO) and as part of this are required to carry out a statutory consultation. We are carrying out consultation over two stages, the first of which we expect to take place this summer.