Developer steps on the accelerator as a new town and a Universal theme park juice travel demand along the university ‘supercluster’.
The company developing East West Rail (EWR), a new railway between Oxford and Cambridge, has brought forward plans to build new stations along the route, potentially injecting more work earlier into the UK construction pipeline.
East West Rail Co now wants to start building the station at the proposed “new town” of Tempsford in Bedfordshire in 2030, five years earlier than originally planned.
Last month, Tempsford made it onto a whittled-down shortlist of seven new towns supported by the government in England. Up to 40,000 new homes are planned there.
It also wants to bring forward work on the Marston Vale section of EWR, including track upgrades, electrification and a new station at Stewartby to serve the Universal resort and theme park planned near Bedford. Universal Destinations & Experiences expects the resort to create 28,000 jobs for the region.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has approved Universal’s request for planning permission to be granted by way of a Special Development Order.
There’s no definite timeline for the resort yet, but East West Rail Co hopes the Stewartby station will be connected to Oxford by the early 2030s.
Three more new stations will serve the Marston Vale section at Woburn Sands, Ridgmont and Lidlington.
Up to five electric trains an hour
Plans also include rebuilding and enlarging Bedford Station, giving it a new western entrance, extra platforms, improved drop-off points, bus connections and a public plaza.
In all, eight new EWR stations will be built on the line running from Oxford through Milton Keynes and Bedford to Cambridge, with smaller stops in between.
When the line is open, East West Rail Co wants four electric trains running the route every hour, with a fifth at peak times or all day if required. Five-carriage trains, not four, are also proposed owing to projected demand.
East West Rail Co announced the plans as it launched its latest public consultation on the EWR, running until 9 June.
The company plans to apply next year for a Development Consent Order to build the line.
Spreading the dynamism of the Oxford-Cambridge ‘supercluster’
The idea of EWR is to create east-west transport links to spread the dynamism of the Oxford-Cambridge corridor throughout this region of 3.5 million people.
With its renowned centres of education, business and technology, the corridor – often described as a “supercluster” – contributes £143bn to the national economy a year.
East West Rail Co chief executive David Hughes said the updated proposals would mean communities see the benefits of the EWR sooner.
“Faster delivery, more frequent services and new stations will help unlock housing, support new jobs and attract investment, while giving residents and businesses better connections between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge,” he said.
Dr Andy Williams, chair of the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board, said EWR would stimulate “the flow of talented people, innovation and investment needed to secure the UK’s position as a global science supercluster”.
Universal’s vice-president for external affairs, Gidon Freeman, said: “One of the reasons we selected our site for a new entertainment resort complex … is its central location and excellent transport links. East West Rail can further improve that connectivity.”
