East West Rail is a new railway connecting communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge. It will make journeys simpler, quicker and more reliable, opening up new, direct routes from Oxford and Bicester across the region.
For people across Oxfordshire, East West Rail creates connectivity to the east of the UK for the first time in more than half a century. Accessing Cambridge or other mainline rail routes will no longer only be possible via London on the train or by already heavily-congested roads.
Better connections across the area will make everyday journeys easier, bringing jobs and education within easier reach and helping reduce pressure on local roads.
Benefits of EWR in Oxfordshire
East West Rail will unlock major long-term economic growth across the Oxford to Cambridge region by linking two world-renowned cities leading in science, technology and innovation by rail for the first time in 50 years, as well as the fast-growing towns and cities in between. By making it easier to travel across the region, it will open up a wider area for businesses to grow, invest and attract talent, while giving people more choice about where to live and work. This will help create thousands of new job opportunities across the region.
Commuting from Oxford and Bicester to Milton Keynes and Bedford will be made possible thanks to East West Rail, along with day trips further afield to places like Cambridge. What’s more, it will be easier to travel north and south via connections with other main railway routes, including the West Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and East Coast Main Line.
Improved connectivity to Oxford station is driving investment into a transformational upgrade at Oxford station already under way by Network Rail. The station will have more space, better access and an enhanced passenger experience, making it easier to move through the station, especially at busy times. Industry investment in the area has also been announced with the reopening of the Cowley Branch Line for passenger services, which would free up platform capacity at Oxford station and allow trains on EWR services to terminate at the station.
It will be simpler and safer to reach Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village stations from surrounding communities thanks to new walking, wheeling and cycling routes and cycle parking. Improved pedestrian access from Oxford Parkway to the park and ride and easier interchange between trains and buses at Bicester Village will help make journeys to and from your stations easier.
A new underbridge on London Road in Bicester will help pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles move around the town once the level crossing is closed. The open and light underbridge will provide a safer, well-lit and more direct route into the town centre, making everyday journeys easier and more reliable.