East West rail has been a huge topic of discussion here - I just search for "East West Rail" on the Coffee Shop and found 165 posts in 57 threads ...

Winslow Station Protest

Two years ago yesterday East West Rail, including Winslow Station, became an operational railway. Since then we’ve been told Chiltern claim the station wasn’t built fit for purpose. We’ve heard unions and the Government are at loggerheads over whether there should be a sevond person on trains. We’ve heard the platforms are too short and will have to be lengthened. We’ve heard millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money has been wasted because of the delay. We’ve heard excuse after excuse. It’s now time to make our voices heard. I’m organising a protest outside Winslow Station on Saturday 21st November from 11am to 1pm. Please let me know if you can come. It’s an absolute scandal - we need to do what it takes to get this service running

Train staff strike over East West Rail train door row

The first trains on a £7bn new railway which will eventually connect Oxford and Cambridge could be further delayed due to industrial action.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), which represents train guards, said on Tuesday that its Chiltern Railways members had agreed to take 24-hour strike action.

It comes following a lengthy dispute over plans for drivers to control the opening and closing of carriage doors on services along the first section of the new East West Rail (EWR) route.

The BBC has contacted the Department for Transport for a comment, but a spokesperson told The Telegraph that the proposals were a "model approved by the independent rail regulator".

The RMT said the planned strike action would last for 24 hours on 10 and 17 October on Chiltern Railways services.

This decision came after Chiltern "refused to provide guarantees over the safety critical role of the second person" on board EWR services, the union said.

(BBC article continues)

I'm informed that these additional staff are NOT safety-critical (I thought they were?) and Bletchley-MKC is not DOO compliant, which I did know.

According to the latest Oxford Clarion we may have a solution to the problem of 'guards' on trains:
"Chiltern is now advertising for Customer Service Inspectors to work from its Bletchley depot, the base for East West Rail services. The inspectors will perform guard-like duties such as “provide a high level of customer care on trains”, “take part in revenue protection activities on trains”, “perform on-train announcing”, and “take action to rectify or report faults”.

The train doors will still be operated by drivers, not guards, so services could run without a second staff member in exceptional circumstances – as is common south of London. An internal Government document says that issues at Winslow station will not obstruct entry to service, and that the trains have been upgraded to support ‘Superpower mode’, which improves acceleration, to meet the tight timetable. With Chiltern due to be nationalised on 20 September, a December start date for the Oxford–Milton Keynes service is now widely expected."

https://oxfordclarion.uk/clarion-weekend-31-july-2026/

I don't know whether this is a coincidence but I have noticed more class 196 trains at Oxford in recent weeks.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the first East West Rail services between Oxford and Milton Keynes Central via Winslow have been included in the base train timetable.

Answer

Answered on
4 June 2026

Chiltern worked with Network Rail, DfT and other operators on the December 2026 timetable and services have been timetabled between Oxford, Winslow, Bletchley and Milton Keynes. The Department continues to work closely with Chiltern Railways and other partners to confirm a start date for the first East-West Rail services between Oxford and Milton Keynes Central via Winslow.

East West Rail (EWR) has released details of its promised final route-wide consultation despite new rules brought in by the Planning and Infrastructure Act making the engagement not statutory.

The new railway linking Oxford and Cambridge confirmed earlier this year it would still carry out the full public consultation for the remaining sections of the line despite the Planning and Infrastructure Bill removing the legal requirement to do so.

article continues

Defeated! The Conservatives have failed in their attempt to amend the Railways Bill, which will establish Great British Railways, to:
* Remove the right to strike
* Reduce training
* Limit annual leave
* Forcibly introduce driver-only operated trains

ASLEF lobbied strongly against these amendments, which would not have served staff or passengers.
It’s on to the next step for the Bill that will bring together track and train and help establish a railway designed for people, not profit.

Thanks, ChrisB — this isn't aimed at you personally, and I appreciate you’re not speaking for RMT, Chiltern, GWR, etc. So the words you used may not be those used by those organisations.

That said, the phrase “the RMT require” is an interesting one and really ought to be challenged. Require on what authority? Since when do unions set operational requirements, and where are the management in this? Are the RMT funding these “requirements”, or are they simply being accepted? What about the passengers (nee customers) and taxpayers who pay for all this, do they get a say?

I thing the term "the RMT require"  is acceptable from online Cambridge Dictionary "to need something or make something necessary" the RMT "need the second safety critical person" based on the mandate they have from their members.

I get the desire to avoid industrial action, but management can’t keep deferring this indefinitely.  The unions must know this argument was settled decades ago. They should call the RMT's bluff and schedule some trains, of course that is wasy for me to say.

They're not - and that's the problem.

The RMT require Chiltern to employ a second safety-critical trained person on each train in passenger service., effectively doubling the staff costs for each train. The DfT refuse to pay.

They need union sign off in order to operate. The depot that the DfT want Chiltern to use is currently NOT DOO, hence using DOO at Bletchley depot will mean that the RMT will be in dispute at that depot & will likely call out their members there.

They need union sign off in order to operate. The depot that the DfT want Chiltern to use is currently NOT DOO, hence using DOO at Bletchley depot will mean that the RMT will be in dispute at that depot & will likely call out their members there.

Chiltern was announced nearly 18 months ago (and probably had Heads Up many weeks before that), so why starting a service is still being discussed with DfT is a mystery to me

A local councillor said it had been due to open in the Buckinghamshire town in December 2025 but there had been a "comedy of errors", including a row over who will control the opening and closing of carriage doors.

Residents of Winslow are frustrated a new railway station completed over a year ago has still not opened.

A local councillor said it had been due to open in the Buckinghamshire town in December 2025 but there had been a "comedy of errors", including a row over who will control the opening and closing of carriage doors.

Diana Blamires, who sits on the town council, said the local community was "obviously furious" and "it makes Winslow station a laughing stock".

In a statement, Chiltern Railways - responsible for operating services between Oxford and Milton Keynes - said no date for the opening had yet been confirmed.

Blamires said: "Now we are told there are no trains and the rolling stock has gone elsewhere.

"And next the platforms are going to have to be rebuilt to make them longer because of Universal Studios coming to the area."

Winslow resident Andy Dyke said the station always came up in conversations between locals.

He said: "It is frustrating for the town."

Natalie Wheble, from the East West Rail project (EWR), told a transport meeting at Buckinghamshire Council longer trains were needed because of the expected increased demand generated by the Universal theme park, due to be built near Bedford.

She said EWR expected to run five-car trains rather than the previously planned four, which meant its plans had changed.

A spokesperson for EWR added: "This uplift in capacity has led to a review of all infrastructure requirements and in the case of Winslow station, a decision has been taken to extend the platforms, so it can accommodate the use of longer trains.

"Any work to extend platforms at Winslow would not affect the introduction of Chiltern's new services."

They said that in March last year, the government had announced that Chiltern Railways would be the operator of services connecting Oxford and Milton Keynes.

"Since then, Chiltern has been working closely with the Department of Transport and industry colleagues with the aim of introducing services on the new line as soon as possible."

Bicester: London Road crossing crowdfunder launched

A community has launched a crowdfunder after it was announced that the Government would not fund a motorised underpass at a level crossing set for closure.

The development of East West Rail, linking Oxford with Cambridge via Milton Keynes and Bedford, will mean the closure of Bicester London Road level crossing due to an increase in the frequency of trains passing through it, prompting the need to find alternative routes for motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

There are major fears that closing the crossing to vehicles would cut the town in two and even result in town centre businesses closing.

In November 2025, East West Railway Company published its latest proposals, which revealed updated designs for both an underpass proposal and an alternative footbridge solution at the crossing.

READ MORE: Man in 50s dies following 'medical incident' at retail park

East West Rail said that an underpass - the design for which includes a single-lane road that could be used by vehicles alongside a protected active travel corridor for pedestrians and cyclists - was the more popular of the two options.

However, this would be subject to securing third-party funding contributions.

This was met with anger from the community, including from local campaigner of more than a decade and chairman of the Langford Village Community Association, Carole Hetherington, who described the announcement as 'incredibly frustrating'.

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “It is for East West Railway Company to bring forward plans for a replacement level crossing, and we are working with them to explore funding options.”

Ms Hetherington has now launched a crowdfunder called 'Donate a Pound to go Underground', with the aim of showing the Treasury how many people are backing the campaign through one pound donations.

The initiative has the full backing of Calum Miller, MP for Bicester and Woodstock, as well as the full support of local independent businesses, including The Fat Zebra, Imagex, and O'Gormans.

She told this newspaper: "We want to make it clear to the Treasury as we have done previously  to East West Rail and the Department of Transport this is vital for Bicester, its the most cost effective long term solution and the only workable solution.

"This is the last vital push to get the solution all of us in Bicester recognise is the solution we need for Bicester and convince the Treasury that Bicester deserves and needs this, rather than cutting the town in two and adversely affecting the town centre businesses.

"I really hope this campaign of Donate a Pound to go Underground makes the Treasury realise how important this is for the long term future of Bicester, and that every donated pound represents one resident of Bicester saying we need this motorised underpass."

Mr Miller said: "This crowdfunder allows people across Bicester to show, in the strongest and most accessible way possible, that they back a motorised underpass for our town.

"The Treasury has been clear that local contributions matter in securing an underpass.

"This initiative is not about how much we raise but how many residents will make a token contribution.

"We have already seen nearly 5,000 people sign a petition in person, and this is about widening that opportunity so as many people as possible can take part.”The Lib Dem MP said this is the 'critical phase of decision-making' by the Government ahead of the consultation at the end of February.

"The funds raised are important, but just as important is what they represent: a clear, collective statement from residents that keeping Bicester connected matters," he added.

“This campaign, led by community leaders like Carole, will be running for several weeks to make sure everyone has the chance to get involved.

"If you feel strongly about keeping Bicester connected, I would encourage you to take part, whether that is donating online, visiting the stall at Friday's market, or dropping a contribution into one of the collection boxes in local businesses on the High Street.

"Every pound received will strengthen the call on the Government to do the right thing and give us the underpass we need.”

Natalie Wheble, external affairs director at East West Railway Company, previously said: “This feedback highlighted the importance of maintaining connectivity for all users of the crossing, including road access to help support local businesses and response times for the emergency services.

"Our updated proposal for an underpass maintains motorised access through the town whilst also providing a segregated route for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised users.

“Further consultation on this underpass design and the revised footbridge option will take place in 2026 to gain more feedback and help finalise our design to meet the needs of the Bicester community and its visitors as best as possible.”

Those who wish to donate can do so via the crowdfunder account called Donate a Pound to go Underground.

Alternatively, people can donate in cash at Bicester Market on Friday, January 23 and 30, as well as on Sheep Street on Saturday, January 24 and 31.

Over the next two weeks, the team will also be collecting in Launton, Ambrosden, Graven Hill, Langford Village, and near Bicester Village Station.

RMT to demonstrate against Driver Only Operation on East West Rail in New Year

23 December 2025

RMT Press Office:

Rail union RMT, will stage a demonstration at 9am on Monday 5 January outside Marylebone station in opposition to plans to introduce Driver Only Operation (DOO) on the new East West Rail line.
The action follows confirmation from Chiltern Railways that it intends to operate services on the new route without a second safety-critical member of staff, despite RMT’s long-standing opposition to DOO.

RMT is clear that a second safety-critical person onboard trains play a vital role in protecting passengers and workers, including providing reassurance, deterring anti-social behaviour, coordinating responses to incidents, managing emergency evacuations and dealing with fires.

The recent mass stabbing on an LNER service at Huntingdon station has once again highlighted the importance of trained staff being present onboard to react quickly, raise the alarm and ensure effective coordination with control, signallers and the British Transport Police.

The union is demanding clear guarantees that East West Rail services operated by Chiltern will not be DOO and that a second safety-critical member of staff will be a mandatory requirement for trains to run.

RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “A guaranteed safety-critical second person onboard trains is essential for carrying out a wide range of duties and responding properly to dangerous and fast-moving situations.

“It is vital that any method of dispatch is agreed with the union and properly reflects the safety-critical skills and responsibilities of the second crew member.

“The horrific incident at Huntingdon showed exactly why having trained staff onboard matters.
 
"The quick actions of the guard and other crew meant the seriousness of the situation was immediately understood by control, signallers and the British Transport Police, allowing swift and decisive action.

“We need a clear commitment from Chiltern that East West Rail services will not be Driver Only Operation and that a second safety-critical member of staff will be guaranteed.

“Passengers value the reassurance of having staff onboard, and RMT remains totally opposed to DOO.

“If Chiltern management continue to be unreasonable, we cannot rule out Industrial action to defend this safety-critical role.”

END

Bicester to crowdfund to keep London Road Crossing open

A community is launching an initiative to fund an underpass at a level crossing set for closure as the fight to keep it open continues.

The development of East West Rail, linking Oxford with Cambridge via Milton Keynes and Bedford, will mean the closure of Bicester London Road level crossing due to an increase in the frequency of trains passing through it, prompting the need to find alternative routes for motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

There are fears that closing the crossing to vehicles would cut the town in two and even result in town centre businesses closing.

In November, East West Railway Company published its latest proposals, which revealed updated designs for both an underpass proposal and an alternative footbridge solution at the crossing.

East West Rail said that an underpass - the design for which includes a single-lane road that could be used by vehicles alongside a protected active travel corridor for pedestrians and cyclists - was the more popular of the two options.

However, this would be subject to securing third-party funding contributions.

Local campaigner of more than a decade and chair of the Langford Village Community Association, Carole Hetherington, said the community will crowdfund in 2026 to raise money for the underpass.

She told this newspaper: "We want to show the Treasury that the people of Bicester are serious about the need for the underpass for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists to keep traffic flowing along London Road, when the crossing closes."

In June, MP for Bicester and Woodstock, Calum Miller, formally presented a petition signed by more than 4,500 residents calling for a fully accessible London Road level crossing in Bicester in the House of Commons.

Ms Hetherington said in 2026, the community is hoping to match the amount of signatures in one-pound donations from Bicester residents through the initiative 'Donate a pound to go Underground'.

She added: "We want to show the treasury, that we have had to crowdfund to raise money, which, in the total cost of the Oxford to Cambridge line, the cost of the underpass, is a small amount of money.

"We believe they should fully fund the underpass."

The strength in feeling was made clear by Bicester residents in 2025 as the town came together to fight to keep the crossing open.

In July, dozens of locals - including wheelchair users, parents with prams, cyclists and others - as well as key campaigners joined a rally at London Road Crossing with signs and banners.

The protest followed the Government’s official response to a public petition calling for an underpass, in which the Department for Transport confirmed that no final decision has been made on the future of the crossing.

And in November, more than 100 Bicester businesses and market traders signed a joint letter to the Treasury urging ministers to back an underpass at London Road.

Reflecting on the past year, Ms Hetherington said: "The remaining frustration has been not getting the full funding from the Treasury.

"This is especially frustrating as the Department of Transport and East West Rail agree that the underpass for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, is the right solution for Bicester.

"The campaign results this year have been amazing, we have succeeded in moving the department of Transport and East West Rail to being totally behind an underpass for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists for London Road.

"That is a fantastic achievement, I am so proud of Bicester residents for getting behind the campaign and recognising that we need to keep access along London Road as we all know and experience the chaos that results around town when London Road has been closed.

"Our heartfelt thanks must also go to our local MP Calum Miller who has championed the campaign and done amazing work in Parliament on our behalf.

"We would never have got this far without him."

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “We recognise the importance of this crossing in the town.

"East West Rail Co has put forward options for this crossing and will continue to consult on a final proposal next year

The Oxford Clarion now has 'By 25th September 2025'. I'm wondering when the first opportunity will be for a one change-of-train journey from Bristol to Bletchley, the last Saturday Bristol to Oxford services... do those cease after 17/05/25?

The Oxford Clarion now has 'By 25th September 2025'. I'm wondering when the first opportunity will be for a one change-of-train journey from Bristol to Bletchley, the last Saturday Bristol to Oxford services... do those cease after 17/05/25?

Mark

Chiltern Railways selected as operator for the first stage of East West Rail - Oxford to Milton Keynes

Serving six stations, the new route will transform economic and social connections in the area by linking Oxford and Milton Keynes with reliable and efficient rail services for the first time in nearly 60 years. The services will also support vibrant new and expanded communities, including new commercial and residential developments along the full East West Rail route.

Trains will stop at Oxford, Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow, Bletchley and Milton Keynes Central - providing easier and faster connectivity for passengers and local businesses.

To help deliver the new service, Chiltern has already expanded its excellent team, and we will welcome 94 permanent employees - including new drivers, station colleagues, and other key roles along the route.

Chiltern will also manage a new station in Winslow with two platforms and full step-free access. This new station will connect Winslow and surrounding communities to expanded employment opportunities, easier access to public services, and reduced reliance on road travel.

In being selected as the operator on the line Chiltern has agreed to meet a comprehensive framework of operating conditions and requirements set by the Department for Transport. Initial services will use Class 196 trains which will be branded in Chiltern colours.

Chiltern’s Managing Director 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."

Development of the second and third stages of East West Rail are expected to start from 2030, with the Government having confirmed funding in January.

Trains from Oxford to Milton Keynes Central, starting next year, will take just 44 minutes – a journey that can take up to 2hr by car. Although passenger services will not start until late 2025, the slots have been set out in the new timetable. Services will run every half hour, with a typical journey being Oxford 1339, Parkway 1346, Bicester Village 1355, Winslow 1406, Bletchley 1417, MK 1423.

Chiltern will operate the service using modern two-car trains

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:OXF/to/gb-nr:BLU/2024-12-18/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

Ooh, I doubt it! For one thing, my Mum's cousin Gwen was 90 when she died in the house she was born in in Ilford.

An underpass "is definitely cheaper" than a bridge. Really? I would have thought tunnelling would be more expensive than building a bridge. Anyway, from Bob-Blakey's post above, it sounds like the current crossing will cope just fine, being open for 50 minutes every hour, not closed.

From The BBC


Hyperbole writ large! In the current weekday timetable the number of TPH (RTT data) using the London Road level crossing (LC) for each hour, starting at 0000, is 2,0,(2),(1),(1),3+(1),4+(1),4,6,5,4,4,4,3,5,4,3,3,4+(1),4,4,3,5,3 (Note: numbers in brackets indicate 'On Request' services which may not run). In some cases the train timings at BIT indicate that two services would pass over the LC at essentially the same time so in the hour 0800-0900, which has the maximum number of services, I guess the crossing would be closed to road traffic for around 10 minutes out of 60 (17%). When the new EWR services are introduced, NR state an additional 2 TPH, and possibly with a bit of timetable tweaking the LC closure time might be restricted to no more than a maximum of 20%.

Hardly being 'cut off completely' and in any case, as mentioned in the BBC report, the EWR team have already published a list of 6 options for dealing with this issue. Worst case scenario - permanent closure of the LC with traffic diverted via the A41 - increases the journey time between the two significant junctions on London Road nearest to each side of the LC from 1 minute to 7 and there are a couple of obvious options for small sections of new road to reduce this to 4-5 minutes.

88 years living in the same house.  That can’t be far off the record!

88 years living in the same house.  That can’t be far off the record!

Residents in a town are calling for an update on how a new train route will impact a busy level crossing.

East-West Rail is designed to connect communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.

But Bicester residents near the London Road level crossing are worried a higher frequency of trains means they will be "cut off completely" from the rest of town.

East-West Rail Company (EWR) said an update on the line will come in May.

When East-West Rail is completed, more trains will run across the London Road level crossing in Bicester.

Oxfordshire County Council has previously said that the new line will mean the crossing will be closed for about 50 minutes every hour during peak times.

A resident who has lived in one of the houses next to the crossing for 88 years said she is worried they will be cut off due to the wait time to cross the railway.

"It's unbelievable," she told the BBC on Tuesday. "We're just going to be cut off completely."

Bridges and underpasses have been suggested to stop splitting Bicester in two but she said "if they built a tunnel, these houses would just collapse" as she said they don't have sturdy foundations.

But Paul Troop from the Bicester Bike Users Group said an underpass would be better than a bridge as "it is definitely cheaper".

Carole Hetherington, chair of Langford Village Community Association said: "We want to hear some concrete plans. I understand they have come up with some sort of solution, but they are not sharing that information.

"Everybody has said it has just gone on for so long without any viable solutions and we do need to see what EWR are suggesting."

EWR has said: "You may have seen that [the] Spring Budget mentioned a route update announcement (Bedford to Cambridge) in May.

"We're expecting this will also include updates for other sections of the line, including the London Road level crossing and feedback on the 2021 public consultation."

Well, we do already have a thread for this - even if it is nine months since it was last used (by ... guess who).

EWR (the promoters, not the consortium of cheerleaders) has now posted their proposal. It's option E, in case you'd not get that part of the message - the one with very vague bits between Sandy and St Neots and in south Cambridge. So this is a long way from defining an alignment, it's more a tool swap from broad brushes to fine-pointed crayons. That page contains loads of stuff, but the main document is The Preferred Route Option: Summary.

'A landmark moment': Consortium delight as ‘central section’ route is announced

The chairman of the East West Rail Consortium has hailed today’s announcement on the preferred route between Bedford and Cambridge as a ‘landmark moment’ in the scheme’s history.

Cllr Mark Shaw said that the work of the Consortium – a grouping of local authorities and local enterprise partnerships which was founded in 1995 and produced the scheme’s original business case – would continue to ensure East West Rail’s full potential is realised.

Following last year’s public consultation, ‘Route E’ (“Bedford Midland – south of St Neots/ Tempsford area – Cambourne – Cambridge”) has been selected by the East West Railway Company as the route of the scheme’s ‘central section’, which connects to the ‘western section’ between Oxford and Bedford, and Aylesbury to Milton Keynes, and the ‘eastern section’ into Suffolk and Norfolk.

Cllr Shaw said: “The Central Section between Bedford and Cambridge has always been the most challenging part of planning East West Rail, given that – unlike the section west of Bedford – it requires a completely new route.

“Therefore I’m delighted that the East West Railway Company has today announced its preferred route. It is a landmark moment in the scheme’s history.  This announcement ensures the momentum established by the East West Railway Company is maintained and we will continue to work closely with them as they look to secure detailed planning consent and get trains on tracks at the earliest opportunity.”

A public inquiry into East West Rail’s Western Section was held last year and Cllr Shaw said he hoped there would be a positive announcement on the Transport and Works Act Order in the ‘very near future’, allowing Network Rail to start major construction work later this year.

“The Government’s continued support for East West Rail is particularly welcomed and reflects the importance of this project to the UK economy as a whole,” he added.

The East West Rail Consortium held a meeting of its Strategic Board today in Bedford. On the agenda were a number of items being taken forward by the Consortium in support of East West Rail.

This includes the commissioning of a high level business case in support of improving rail connectivity from Ipswich and Norwich to Oxford and beyond. When completed, the Consortium will look to work with the Department for Transport to develop the full strategic and outline business cases.

Cllr Shaw said: “The Eastern Section is an integral part of the overall scheme. The work being undertaken by the Consortium is an essential step towards securing the necessary infrastructure enhancements needed to make direct journeys across the breadth of southern England a reality.”

The Consortium is also funding an ‘options appraisal’ report into solutions to prevent excessive ‘down-time’ at the London Road level crossing in Bicester after the opening of the central section.

Cllr Shaw said: “It has been 25 years since the Consortium was founded and its strategic leadership has been pivotal in getting East West Rail to this advanced stage. As we enter the Consortium’s silver anniversary year, we’re more determined than ever to work with all our partners to ensure East West Rail’s full potential is delivered for the benefit of our residents and businesses, from East Anglia across to Oxfordshire, and beyond.”