East West Rail services planned to begin this year as Chiltern Railways named operator

In a significant step towards boosting connectivity and growth between Oxford and Cambridge, the Rail Minister has today (25 March 2025) named Chiltern Railways as the operator for the first stage of East West Rail. 

This comes ahead of its planned launch later this year, which will support almost 100 new jobs at Chiltern, boost local economies along the route and see passengers benefit from slashed journey times and better access to jobs, education and business opportunities. 

When delivered in full, East West Rail is set to generate £6.7 billion of growth per year in Oxford-Cambridge by 2050, bolstering the thriving life science cluster and supporting up to 28,000 jobs in Cambridge alone. 

Serving 6 stations, the new line will initially link Oxford and Milton Keynes for the first time in nearly 60 years, accelerating the regeneration of town centres and helping build new homes across the full line as part of our Plan for Change. 

Rail Minister Peter, Lord Hendy, said: 

"Appointing Chiltern Railways to run the first East West Rail services is one of the crucial last steps in getting the line up and running later this year and means local people in the area are closer to experiencing the benefits of this transformative project. 

"This milestone demonstrates that we are serious about unlocking the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, providing greater connectivity across the region and delivering on our Plan for Change mission to drive economic growth."

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 a revamped Bletchley station along the new line. 

Chiltern will manage the newly constructed station in Winslow, opening up better employment opportunities, easier access to public services and reduced reliance on road travel. 

Richard Allan, Managing Director of Chiltern Railways, 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."

David Hughes, CEO of East West Railway Co, said: 

"This is a huge milestone which will allow Chiltern Railways to deliver a much-needed rail service linking the dynamic cities of Oxford and Milton Keynes, providing new opportunities for commuters and leisure travellers alike. 

"This is the first part of East West Rail’s vision to extend services to Bedford and Cambridge, which will transform connectivity across the region and unlock new opportunities for economic growth."

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. 

This outlined the government’s aim for trains to be powered on the route with greener traction and hybrid battery-electric trains, which would result in cleaner and faster journeys for passengers. 

Gary Walsh, Route Director for West Coast South at Network Rail said: 

"We’re delighted by today’s announcement, which is fantastic news for passengers who will soon benefit from the new journey opportunities that East West Rail provides between Milton Keynes and Oxford."

Following completion of major construction, which included installing 70km of new track, 17 brand new bridges and a modern signalling system, we’re working closely with our partners at Chiltern Railways and the DfT ahead of passenger services starting later this year.