East West Rail


East West Rail is a major project to establish a strategic railway connecting East Anglia with Central, Southern and Western England. In particular, it plans to build a line linking Oxford and Cambridge via Bicester, Milton Keynes and Bedford, largely using the trackbed of the former Varsity Line. Thus it provides a route between any or all of the Great Western, Chiltern, West Coast, Midland, East Coast, West Anglia and Great Eastern main lines, avoiding London. The new line will provide a route for potential new services between and Ipswich or Norwich via, and, using existing onward lines. The Government approved the western section in November 2011, with completion of this section expected by 2025., the Company aims to complete the Central section by "the mid 2020s"., electrification of the line is not planned, but the 2019 decision is under review.
The plan is divided into three sections:
It was initially promoted by the East-West Rail Consortium, a consortium of local authorities and interested bodies along the route. Since 2013 it has been adopted by the Department for Transport and, in late 2017, the Government announced that will be delivered by a private sector consortium, the East West Railway Company,.
Since December 2016 phase 1 of the western section, the segment from via to the junction with the Chiltern Main Line is operational. On 5 February 2020, the Department for Transport made the Transport and Works Act Order for the BicesterBletchley and AylesburyClaydon sections. On 30 January 2020, the East West Railway Company announced its preferred route for the BedfordCambridge section.

History

Origins

The link is promoted by the East West Rail Consortium, which was initiated by Ipswich Borough Council in 1995 and has since been chaired by both Buckinghamshire County Council and Oxfordshire County Council. Ipswich Council and its neighbours were particularly concerned about poor services within East Anglia and the links to London. Some success was achieved east of Cambridge, at least partly through the efforts of the group.
In April 2006 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister reported itself to be in favour of the principle of re-opening the link between Bedford and Oxford.
In May 2006 the Department of Transport announced specific plans for Bletchley railway station. The document stated that "it is likely" that Bletchley area renewals and network simplification will take place "by 2010", "to include a high-level platform" for Bedford trains. "The network will be suitable for the later addition of any 'East-West' link to and from Oxford and for the operation of through links from either Oxford or Bedford to and from Milton Keynes".
In March 2007, a study declared at p. 38, 5.1 A very good operating and business case exists for 2 trains per hour passenger service between Oxford and Milton Keynes, and an operating case also exists for the Aylesbury spur which would bring further economic and strategic advantages to the subregion. Capital cost for the base case is between £100m – £135m. The base case and the Aylesbury options should be further considered in the next phase of work.
In April 2008, the Department for Transport responded to an e-petition for support on East West Rail by reiterating that they would encourage private funding.
In the 2011 Autumn Statement by Chancellor George Osborne, the East West railway between, and was adopted by the Department for Transport, and £270 million was committed to the scheme to fund its development. This was confirmed in July 2012 when the Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening, announced that the Western section of East West Rail would be part of the government's strategy for rail transport.

Western section

The western section will link Oxford and Bedford via Bletchley, with connections to the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line. It will use the Oxford–Bicester line, a renovated section of the Varsity Line from Bicester to Bletchley, and finally the Marston Vale line from Bletchley to Bedford. The existing Cherwell Valley line will form a link to the Great Western main line at Didcot Parkway railway station. Passenger services to and are also planned.
The first part of this work, doubling the Oxford–Bicester line and connecting it to the Chiltern Main Line, was largely completed in 2015 ; the remaining work from Bicester to Bedford has been greatly delayed, and is scheduled for completion in 'late 2023'.
On 3 February 2020, the Department for Transport made the Transport and Works Act Order for the BicesterBletchley and AylesburyClaydon sections.. The Planning Inspectorate's report had indicated that the scheme was fully funded, as confirmed by a DfT letter dated 9 February 2018, with a budget for this phase of £1,084,726,000, consisting of £150.095 million in and £934.631 million in but that, if the Order was not made in 2019, delays of 6 to 12 months could be expected with an impact on its integration with HS2 and a resulting significant increase in costs which had not been allowed for in that funding.

Planning

In February 2008 the consortium published a business case for re-opening the western section of the route funded by Milton Keynes Partnership, South East England Regional Assembly, South East England Development Agency and the consortium.
In March 2008, a £2 million engineering survey of the existing and removed tracks was launched, and those undertaking the engineering survey stated that a link between Oxford and Bletchley could be achieved for around £190 million. If construction had started in 2009 as they then hoped, the upgraded / re-opened line could have been in service by 2012.
In November 2008 the Milton Keynes Partnership, Chiltern Railways and the consortium formally agreed to take their proposals forward together. Chiltern Railways would take the lead on the upgrading of the Oxford-Bicester section with its Project Evergreen 3 and the Milton Keynes Partnership would lead for the rest of the line to Bletchley.
In December 2008 the commissioning of a further report, to take the project forward to GRIP Stage 4, was announced. This was to encompass work to analyse the additional requirements, not previously considered in detail, to GRIP Stage 3 equivalent, as well as revisiting the future requirements for the existing Bletchley-Bedford line.
According to section 3 of the October 2008 Progress report, during 2008 a number of proposals from other parties emerged which might have a significant impact on the project:
Section 3 also states that there is some uncertainty over various parties' requirements for the existing Bletchley-Bedford railway.
Infrastructural assessment investigations would be taken forward in parallel with this work funded by £2 million of contribution, half directly by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the other half in varying proportions from various local authorities' Growth Area Funding allocation. Work to clear vegetation from the redundant section of line for the infrastructure assessment started in January 2009.

Design

The February 2008 report identified two options defined from different perspectives, the "Regional Rail" option and the "Local Rail" option. As part of existing upgrades, a new bay platform has been provided at Milton Keynes Central, which will be able to receive the local services. The infrastructure between Oxford and Bletchley required by both options is essentially the same. The spur from Calvert to Aylesbury is only included in the Local option, though about 20% of southern part of the route has already been reinstated under the Aylesbury Vale Parkway project. The line from north of Wolvercote Tunnel through Bicester to Bletchley would be enabled for double-track running. The Oxford–Wolvercote Tunnel section, and the Aylesbury–Calvert line if also provided, would be single-track working. A new high-level platform would be provided at Bletchley, with new stations at Winslow and Newton Longville.
The Planning Inspector's report to the Minister for Transport, in support of the final Transport and Works Act Order, has firmed up on these principles. The platforms at Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Bletchley High Level and Winslow are to be specified as suitable for trains no longer than four cars. The section between Oxford and Bletchley is specified as double-track, max.; AylesburyClaydon LNE Junction is to be single-track, up to but BletchleyBedford is to remain at maximum. The line is not initially to be electrified but constructed so as to facilitate electrification at a later date. The proposed Newton Longville station does not appear. There are no funded plans for north-to-east chords at Bicester or at Bletchley.

Service pattern

East West Rail Ltd plans this service pattern:
The TWAO states that no provision is to be made for a Milton Keynes CentralMarylebone service, or for an AylesburyManchester Piccadilly service.
Additionally, since December 2016, Chiltern Railways have provided 2tph between Oxford and London Marylebone using the section between Oxford and Bicester as part of Chiltern's Evergreen 3 project. The necessary chord between the Oxford–Bletchley line and the Chiltern Main Line has been completed and the service commenced on 26 October 2015.

Approval

In the 2011 Autumn Statement by Chancellor George Osborne, the East West railway between, and was approved and funded, with £270 million committed to the scheme. A new station was to open at Winslow and a high-level station built at. The to Bletchley and the to Claydon Junction sections were to be upgraded or built to a 90-100 mph line speed. At that stage it was due for completion in 2019.
On 16 July 2012 the East-West Rail Consortium made the following announcement:

"The Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt. Hon Justine Greening MP, today announced that the Western section of East West Rail will be part of the government's strategy for rail transport, confirming not only funding for the project but also for electrification of the Oxford to Bedford part of the route. EWR will provide an electric link between the electrified Great Western, West Coast and Midland main lines. This further investment in the project upgrades it to form a key part of the new ‘Electric Spine’ passenger and freight route between the South Coast, the East Midlands and Yorkshire".

Developments and announcements for Western section

On 10 January 2013 Network Rail announced its intention to construct the western section between Bedford and Oxford, Aylesbury and Milton Keynes, as part of their five-year strategic business plan. The target date for train services to be operational on this section was December 2017. Electrification of the line between Oxford and Bedford was also included in the budget and target completion date was March 2017.
In November 2013 the East West Rail Consortium pledged an additional £45 million to the project. The chair of the East West Rail joint delivery board, Councillor Janet Blake presented a letter to Transport Minister Philip Hammond, confirming the financial commitment from the Board.
From 1 February 2014 Network Rail began clearing vegetation that had grown over the abandoned track.
In March 2014 Carillion and Buckingham Group announced that they were to undertake construction of the new link, commencing with the Oxford to Bicester stretch, with a contract value of £87 million, but later that month Network Rail stated that there would be a delay in the completion of the line by two years until 2019.
Early in April 2014 Network Rail acknowledged that the busy level crossing in Milton Keynes between Woburn Sands and Wavendon is presenting "a headache". The report goes on to say that the crossing near Bow Brickhill will be replaced with a bridge.
In May 2014 Network Rail announced that the line will be opened to running, the current top speed for InterCity services. It is proposed that CrossCountry services, along with Chiltern Railways and London Northwestern Railway services will use the route.
In July 2015 Sir Peter Hendy was appointed Chairman of Network Rail "and asked by the Secretary of State to conduct a thorough review of the enhancement programme in England & Wales to see what can be delivered in an affordable and timely way within the funding period to 2019". The report states "During CP5 development work will continue into the full re-opening of the route between Bicester and Bletchley and delivery will be started as soon as possible". However, in the table that lists in detail the revised work programme, the route is shown as one of the "Projects with significant delivery in CP5 and completion in CP6".
As part of the Budget of March 2016 the Chancellor, George Osborne, wrote to the National Infrastructure Commission to ask them to develop proposals for unlocking growth, housing and jobs in the Cambridge – Milton Keynes – Oxford corridor. The letter made reference to the East West Rail Link, raising the possibility of further development of the line in the future.
In May 2016 the Department for Transport revealed that it 'is considering a new franchise to operate services on the east-west rail link' and that 'development of the proposed franchise will start in 2018 '.
By August 2016 it became clear that Network Rail considers the project to be 'no longer the third most important project in the country' and that delivery of the core of the Western Section might slip beyond 2024, with the connection to Aylesbury due even later. Councillor Rodney Rose, chair of the East West Rail Consortium suggested that the main causes of the delay include delays arising from rail electrification difficulties and fiscal uncertainty arising from the UK's decision to leave the European Union. In October 2016, the Minister instructed Network Rail to delete electrification from the design, but to maintain clearances to permit a retrofit at an unspecified future date.
In November 2016 Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced £110 million funding to ensure completion of the Bicester–Bedford segment by 2025.
In December 2016 the Transport Secretary announced his decision to privatise the line. A new entity will be responsible for track and infrastructure, as well as operating train services, which, he believes, will deliver an Oxford–Cambridge service at an earlier date than is realistic for an overcommitted Network Rail.
In July 2017 Network Rail began a public consultation on the details of its proposals for the Bicester–Bedford section.
In August 2017 the EWR Alliance noted that the decision by the Department for Transport to delete electrification from the specification was causing further delay to the programme, because work already done on the TWA applications would need to be reworked.
In November 2017, in its report on the Cambridge – Milton Keynes – Oxford corridor, the NIC called for the line between Bicester and Bedford to be reopened by 2023 and Bedford/Cambridge by 2030, and for the development and construction of a link between the M1 and Oxford by 2030, as part of the proposed Oxford to Cambridge Expressway. In his budget of November 2017 the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, allocated further funding to open the western section by 2024 via a new company, the East West Railway Company, which was established in December 2017.
In December 2017 the Transport Secretary announced the establishment of a new East West Railway Company which will oversee the establishment of both the Western & Central Sections of East West Rail Link. The budget in November 2017 announced the completion of the Central Section by 2030 and a preferred route to be announced in early 2019 following a number of public consultations.
In April 2018 the chairman of the East West Railway Company, Rob Brighouse, suggested a new line between Milton Keynes and Bedford might avoid the problems with the current Marston Vale Line. These problems are the all-stations hourly stopping service operated by London Northwestern Railway and numerous level crossing on the route: these could limit capacity for through regional trains. He acknowledged that this proposal could be expensive but suggested the private sector could help fund it. He also suggested then that the Western Section could be completed by 2022, ahead of the planned 2024 opening date.
On 27 July 2018, Network Rail submitted a Transport and Works Act Order application to the Secretary of State for Transport for the Bicester-Bletchley segment. The Public Enquiry ended on 1 May 2019.
A DfT/EWR report that considers the strategic and economic cases for the Western Section Phase 2 project was published on 7 December 2018.
In July 2019, the EWR Company announced that it will be issuing Invitations to Tender for rolling stock 'later this year', possibly as early as August.
In January 2020, the chairman of the consortium said that, following the public inquiry into the Western Section that had been held in 2019, he hoped there would be a positive announcement on the Transport and Works Act Order in the 'very near future', with major construction work starting later in 2020. In February 2020, Transport Minister Grant Shapps announced that he had approved the plans for phase 2.
In March 2020, the Company invited tenders for supply of twelve to fourteen 3car trains on a four-year lease.
In April and May 2020, the Bletchley Flyover was refurbished, with sections over the WCML being replaced. From 5 July 2020, work began on replacement of the sections crossing Buckingham Road.

Delivery

Phase 1: Oxford–Bicester

The section from Oxford through Bicester Village to the Chiltern Main Line was rebuilt as part of Phase 2 of Chiltern Railways Project Evergreen and adopted as Phase1 of the East West Rail Link. Chiltern Railways began service over it, from to, on 26 October 2015; and from Oxford station to Marylebone on 11 December 2016.

Central section

The Varsity Line route between and is no longer available for East West Rail because key sections of it have been reused for other purposes since the closure of this part of the line in 1968. These include the Ryle Telescope, the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, National Cycle Route 51 as well as housing at Potton and Sandy.

Developments and announcements for Central section

In March 2016 Network Rail announced that the link would connect to the East Coast Main Line via Sandy. In the 2016 Autumn Statement, the chancellor announced £10 million of funding to continue to develop plans for the route.
On 30 October 2018 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Autumn Budget that £20 million was being made available for work to develop a "strategic outline business case" for the Bedford–Cambridge segment.
In December 2018, in a paper published jointly with the Department for Transport, EWR Ltd. reported that it intends to begin consultations on the route of the central section "early in 2019".
On 28 January 2019, East West Railway Company revealed 5 potential routes in the consultation which ran from 28 January until 11 March 2019.
None of the route options connect to Cambridge via as this option was ruled out in the evaluation stage.. However, its section 7.7 concedes that two of its Routes could alternatively approach Cambridge from the north if new information is provided to EWR Co through the consultation that suggests that this would be better.
The consultation document proposes a target date of "mid 2020s" for the central section to be completed.
In September 2019, the Government declared the Central Section a 'nationally significant infrastructure project'.
In January 2020, the company announced that Route E had been selected as the preferred route.
Go-ahead for Cambridge South railway station was announced in the budget of 11 March 2020. Three options for its location near Addenbrooke's Hospital have been identified on the Great Eastern Main Line, between the guided busway bridge on Cambridge Biomedical Campus to the north and the Addenbrooke’s Road bridge to the south. The indicative route E corridor for the East West line shows a junction with the GEML south of Cambridge but is vague about the precise location of this junction and thus its position relative to that of Cambridge South; local media reports anticipate that it will be such as to enable East West trains to stop here.

Route option lobbying

The northern route was promoted by a private interest group "CamBedRailRoad", that sought to connect EWR via a new line to the new Cambridge North railway station.

Eastern section

The track in this section is all in place and operational: from Cambridge to Norwich, Felixstowe and Ipswich. The plan would see more services on the existing Felixstowe Branch Line, Ipswich to Ely Line, and parts of the East Suffolk Line and Great Eastern Main Line. An hourly service in both directions between Cambridge and Ipswich was started in 2004. There is also an hourly passenger service between Norwich and Cambridge operated by Greater Anglia.
A section of Felixstowe Branch Line was doubled in 2009 to allow freight trains to pass each other at Derby Road in Ipswich and there were plans to double of route from Nacton to Trimley together with other work as part of the Felixstowe and Nuneaton freight capacity scheme. The "Bacon Factory Curve" in Ipswich was completed in March 2014 to allow trains from Felixstowe to continue to the West Midlands without reversing at Ipswich.
In January 2019, East West Rail Consortium released a document to press the case for the Eastern section to Norwich via Ely, and to Ipswich via Bury St Edmunds.