East West Rail to join OxCam Growth Corridor discussions in Milton Keynes

Image: Will Gallagher courtesy of East West Rail

Future Cities Forum is delighted that Will Gallagher, Director of Strategy, East West Rail, will be contributing to our Oxford Cambridge Growth discussion event next month to be held at the offices of Milton Keynes City Council.

The East West Railway Company is a non-departmental public arm’s length body set up by the government to accelerate the East West Rail project – a new rail link between Cambridge and Oxford. EWRC is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Transport.

The UK government has recently announced support for the development of new and expanded communities in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and a new East Coast Mainline station in Tempsford, to expand the region’s economy. The Chancellor Rachel Reeves said:

'...to get from Oxford to Cambridge by train takes two and a half hours. There is no way to commute directly from places like Bedford and Milton Keynes to Cambridge by rail. And there is a lack of affordable housing across the region.'

East West Rail Company (EWR Co) has confirmed plans to deliver a new station at Tempsford ahead of time to enable better connections along the Government’s ‘growth corridor’ between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge route.

The new station is now set to be delivered up to five years earlier than planned, providing a station for services on the East Coast Main Line travelling north to south, whilst the Oxford to Cambridge rail line is still under construction.

In a recent announcement (January 2025), the Chancellor provided support to the East West Rail scheme to allow the station to be delivered under an accelerated timeframe. By delivering a phased approach to the construction of a station at Tempsford, new housing and growth opportunities can then be brought forward. This announcement was part of a range of plans unveiled by the Chancellor to boost growth along the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.

The Chancellor’s announcement follows her Budget announcement in October, in which she outlined the Government’s commitment to delivering East West Rail in full. When built, East West Rail will connect Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge. The construction of East West Rail will boost access to jobs, and education and business opportunities, while unlocking economic growth and productivity right across the region.

Proposals on the site options and detailed design of Tempsford station is under review after the latest public consultation on East West Rail ended last week. Feedback from this consultation is now being analysed and the final design of the railway, including the location of the station at Tempsford, will be presented at a statutory consultation which is due to be held in the next 12 months.