East-west public transport is currently limited to a coach service, which takes 1 hour 50 minutes between Oxford and Milton Keynes at peak times, and the bus journey between Bedford to Cambridge, which takes up to 1 hour 30 minutes. With East West Rail, these journey times could be cut to under 45 minutes from Oxford to Milton Keynes, and could take 35 minutes between Bedford and Cambridge.

East West Rail could take you from Oxford to Cambridge via Bedford, Bicester and Bletchley in approximately 1 hour 35 minutes, with no need to change in London.

East West Rail would bring more people within commuting distance of jobs in the region, making it easier to get to employment centres whilst also boosting jobs in local areas.

Despite being a short distance apart, journeys from places such as Milton Keynes and Bedford to Oxford and Cambridge can take a long time because of congested roads and the lack of public transport. By offering rail travel as an alternative, East West Rail would help to ease traffic on local roads and provide a reliable, fast and more sustainable public transport option for people. The railway also creates the potential to reduce the number of lorries going through the area’s towns and villages.

East West Rail aims to be a net zero passenger railway. The railway would reduce local people's reliance on private cars and would lead to cleaner air and fewer emissions. Compared to a car journey, travelling by train can reduce emissions by up to two thirds.

Growth in Oxford and Cambridge is constrained. Connecting them with the fast-growing and high potential towns and cities in between, like Milton Keynes and Bedford, would make places more appealing for people wanting to start and grow all types of businesses.

Just as East West Rail will bring people closer to jobs, it would also bring businesses closer to their supply chains, research sectors, competitors and other sectors. This provides a unique opportunity in the region and the UK for businesses to develop in dynamic ecosystems and clusters. Such vibrant business ecosystems already exist in pockets, such as the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and the Oxford Science Park. East West Rail would make it possible at scale, which would attract more businesses into the region and investment into the country by offering unrivalled collaboration and innovation opportunities, which will lead to fresh ideas, higher productivity and new spin-outs.

The railway would help attract and retain the best talent in the region. It currently takes nearly an hour to travel just 9 miles from Cambourne to Cambridge in the morning rush-hour, but East West Rail could reduce this to 15 minutes. Bedford and Cambridge would be just 35 minutes apart, so East West Rail could expand the number of people within commuting distance of jobs in the region, giving the region’s businesses and innovators access to a much bigger pool of people to hire from as they grow.

East West Rail would connect to most of the UK’s north-south main lines making it easier to get to the rest of the UK, opening up new journeys for local communities. Friends, family and days out would all be within easy reach, as would overseas destinations with through better connections to international airports at Luton and Stansted.

This chapter covers updated proposals for the existing railway between Oxford and Bletchley. Proposals include:

• Closing the level crossing at London Road in Bicester, and replacing it with either a bridge or underpass for pedestrians, cyclists and other users, with road traffic re-routed via existing and upgraded roads.
• Potential upgrades at Oxford, Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow, and Bletchley stations.
• Passing loops at Islip and Middle Claydon so that faster passenger trains could overtake slower freight trains.

Find out more in Chapter 8 of the Consultation Document.

This chapter covers updated proposals for improvements to the existing railway and stations between Fenny Stratford to Kempston, which forms part of the Marston Vale Line that runs from Bletchley to Bedford. Proposals include:

• Two options for service patterns and stations on the Marston Vale Line. The options would either retain all nine existing stations or consolidate them into four new stations at Woburn Sands, Ridgmont, Lidlington and Stewartby.
• Twin-tracking at Fenny Stratford, where a second track would be built to allow for new EWR services.
• Our approach to level crossings on the Marston Vale Line, including diversions and closing some crossings.
• Passing loops between Ridgmont and Stewartby so that faster passenger trains could overtake slower trains.

Find out more in Chapter 9 of the Consultation Document.

This chapter shares updated proposals to the south of Bedford and Bedford St Johns, Bedford station and the area north of Bedford, including proposals to:

• Relocate Bedford St Johns station to the west to better serve Bedford Hospital.
• Build a new two-track railway to the north of Sandhurst Road that would replace the existing single track Marston Vale Line into Bedford station.
• Rebuild the Bedford station building, creating a new station plaza, constructing footbridges and two new platforms (reduced from three shown in previous proposals), and providing replacement car parking.
• Construct two additional tracks alongside the Midland Main Line to make sure EWR services can run reliably without conflicting with other trains.
• Build a new 1.1km long viaduct over the Great River Ouse and Paula Radcliffe Way.
• Realign Ampthill Road, Cauldwell Street, Ford End Road, Bromham Road and the A6 Great Ouse Way to enable the railway to be built and operated.

Find out more in Chapter 10 of the Consultation Document.

This chapter highlights how proposals between Clapham Green and Colesden have been developed and ways we’ve sought to reduce their impacts on the local community and other stakeholders. This includes proposals to:

• Lay approximately 12km (7 miles) of new railway track and build embankments, cuttings, bridges and viaducts where needed to enable this.
• Divert some roads, tracks and paths that cross the new railway so that these can still be used, for example by building new bridges.
• Install two passing loops so that faster passenger trains could overtake slower trains.

Find out more in Chapter 12 of the Consultation Document.

This chapter shares updated proposals for the section of EWR that runs between Roxton and east of St Neots. Proposals include:

• A section of new railway and associated infrastructure approximately 10km (6 miles) long.
• Two possible alignments through the Tempsford area (1b and 1c), each making use of viaducts linked by embankment.
• A new station at Tempsford, which would also include an interchange with the East Coast Main Line.
• A temporary rail logistics hub connecting with the proposed alignment and the East Coast Main Line to enable construction materials to be transported by rail.

Find out more in Chapter 13 of the Consultation Document.

This chapter covers updated proposals for the section of new railway beginning at the roundabout east of St Neots, running north of Cambourne and the new dual carriageway to be known as the A421 and A428, before crossing the A428 and ending at the B1046 between Toft and Comberton. Proposals include:

• Approximately 19km (12 miles) of new railway, including passing loops so that faster passenger trains could overtake slower trains.
• A new station at Cambourne to improve connectivity into Cambridge for people living there and support the future growth of the town.
• A cut and cover tunnel beneath the A428, the proposed Bourn Airfield development and Highfields Road, with associated temporary diversion of the A428 and other local roads.
• New bridges for road, track and path crossings, bridges and culverts for watercourses and associated diversions where necessary.

Find out more in Chapter 14 of the Consultation Document.

This chapter covers the section of the route running from the B1046 Comberton Road to Addenbrooke’s Road, Shelford. Proposals include:

• New railway tracks between Comberton and Hauxton Junction east of the A10 Royston Road.
• A tunnel, bridges and crossings for roads and footpaths including the A10 Royston Road diversion.
• Options for maintaining connectivity between Harston and Newton after the closure of the Harston level crossing, including a potential new footbridge 400m east of the Harston level crossing.
• A new road bridge and a potential new footbridge to replace the Hauxton Road level crossing.
• River and stream crossings and two new viaducts over Bourn Brook to the south of Comberton and the River Rhee to the west of Harston, to enable the railway to travel through these areas.

Find out more in Chapter 14 of the Consultation Document.

This chapter outlines proposed improvements to the existing railway and stations for the section of the route that would run from Addenbrooke’s Road bridge over the existing West Anglia Main Line, north of Great Shelford, to the A14 bridge north of Cambridge North station, and to Yarrow Road in Cherry Hinton to the East of Cambridge, on the Newmarket line. Proposals include:

• Two new railway tracks next to the existing West Anglia Main Line.
• A new bridge to replace Long Road overbridge, wide enough to accommodate the additional tracks.
• A new platform, platform extensions, bridges, building upgrades and railway systems modifications at Cambridge station.
• Safety improvements at the existing level crossing at Laundry Lane.
• A new facility at Cherry Hinton allowing EWR passenger trains to turn around.

Find out more in Chapter 16 of the Consultation Document.