Operator for first leg of East West Rail announced

Chiltern Railways has been confirmed as the operator of the first leg of East West Rail by the Rail Minister, Lord Hendy.

The first phase of the project will serve six stations, including Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, a newly revamped Bletchley station, and a brand-new station at Winslow which will be operated by Chiltern. The first leg will finish at Milton Keynes Central.

It is expected that it will create 100 jobs for Chiltern Railways and when completed generate £6.7 billion of growth in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.

Rail Minister Peter, Lord Hendy, emphasised the significance of the milestone, stating: "Appointing Chiltern Railways to run the first East West Rail services is one of the final steps before the line opens later this year. This demonstrates our commitment to unlocking the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and boosting economic growth."

The announcement of the operator for the first leg comes after the Chancellor Rachel Reeves threw her weight behind the construction of the second and third legs between Bletchley and Cambridge by confirming treasury funding for the project in January. The chancellor confirmed a new station would be built at Tempsford, providing a connection to the East Coast main line.

Chiltern Railways has long been expected to be the operator for the first leg of the new route and ran a test service on the line last year using one its fleet of class 168s. It's drivers have been route-learning during that time also.

Its managing director Richard Allan said he was “delighted” that it has been announced as the line’s operator.

He added, “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.”

The second leg using the current Marston Vale line between Bletchley and Bedford is due to be opened by 2030, with the final leg from Bedford to Cambridge currently scheduled to be operational by 2035.

It is unclear if Chiltern Railways will be awarded the contract to operate the second leg which operated currently by London North Western Railways.