Transport hubs in Cambridge, Bedford and Bletchley unveiled in final consultation for £7bn railway
East West Rail has revealed proposed designs for three new stations designed by WW+P as part of the final route-wide public consultation on the line.
The practice has worked with a joint venture called MWJV, a partnership between Mott MacDonald and WSP, on visualisations for new stations or upgrades at Bletchley, Cambridge and Bedford.
Plans to complete the project in delivery phases have also been outlined, responding to an expected increase in passenger demand due to the government’s approval of the Universal Studios UK resort in Bedford.
The previous plan for connection stages, which would see the line open only when the whole route is completed, have been replaced by plans for new stations and sections to open as soon as they are ready.
A new station at Stewartby, serving Universal Studios UK, has also been added to the route.
The project said the new programme has been designed to get frequent high-capacity services to the theme park, set to be Europe’s largest, sooner than previously expected.
The wider project will connect Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge with a development consent order (DCO) to be submitted to the government in 2027, although parts of the line including a stretch between Oxford and Bicester have already been completed.
WW+P’s work on the line includes a brand new station at Bedford with an additional western entrance, a new entrance at Cambridge, a new Cambridge East station and a new station for Bletchley.
A core service of four trains per hour across the whole route is now proposed, with an additional fifth train running at peak times or potentially all day if required. Five-carriage trains, rather than four carriages, are also proposed due to increased demand.
Other changes include connecting the proposed new town of Tempsford to the line five years earlier than planned, with construction of a new station serving the development starting in 2030.
The Marston Vale line will also be electrified and three new accessible stations built at Woburn Sands, Ridgmont and Lidlington.
The full end-to-end service with up to five trains per hour between Oxford and Cambridge is scheduled to open by the mid-to-late 2030s.
East West Rail Company chief executive David Hughes said the updated proposals mark a “major step forward” for the project and will ensure passengers see benefits sooner.
“By bringing forward key elements of the railway and planning for increased demand, we are helping to ensure the infrastructure is in place to support future growth and opportunities for our communities,” he said.
Rail minister Peter Hendy said the consultation “reflects continuing progress on the final design for this critical railway and another step forward to delivering the benefits of this project to a multitude of individuals, local communities and businesses”.
The consultation will run for eight weeks from now until June 9. A series of public drop-in events are being held across the route to provide opportunities to meet the project team and find out more about the updated proposals.
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