Chiltern Railways will be operator for Oxford to Milton Keynes section of East West Rail

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced Chiltern Railways as the operator for the new East West Rail services planned to begin later this year.

DfT estimates that when delivered in full, East West Rail will generate £6.7bn of growth per year in Oxford-Cambridge by 2050, supporting up to 28,000 jobs in Cambridge alone.

The new line will initially link Oxford and Milton Keynes for the first time in nearly 60 years. A brand-new station at Winslow will reconnect the town to the rail network for the first time since the 1960s, with trains also stopping at Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village and Bletchley station.

The announcement comes following a 10-week consultation period giving local people the chance to shape the second and third stages of East West Rail, which will see the line reaching Bedford from 2030 and Cambridge from the mid-2030s.

Managing director of Chiltern Railways Richard Allan said, “The first stage of East West Rail will provide fast, direct train services between Oxford and Milton Keynes and we are delighted that Chiltern has been announced as operator.”

“Chiltern has a proud track record of delivering new services and infrastructure, including our London to Oxford connections and introduction of new stations at Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village.

“We are looking forward to carrying customers on this exciting new route which is set to make a critical contribution to the UK’s economic growth.”