The railway line between Oxford and Cambridge closed at the end of 1967, apart from the 16-mile link in the middle between Bletchley and Bedford. In 1987 the section between Oxford and Bicester was reopened, and this has since been upgraded and a new rail link provided to London.
Since the 1980s Railfuture has been campaigning for the full link to be reopened, and for services west of Oxdord and east of Cambridge to be enhanced to provide a major east-west rail route that avoids London. The scheme now has the full backing of government and is progressing, although not as quickly as Railfuture and other stakeholders would like.
Also see: Railfuture's Ox-Cam mini-site.
For more information please click on the links below:
- 28/02/2021 - Politician unhappy about lack of electrification with penny-pinching government focused on hydrogen or battery technologies
- 30/06/2018 - Timeline for Western Section phase 2 Transport & Works Act Application submission
- 14/09/2009 - Lord Adonis meets representatives of East West Rail consortium and asks to know how he could help to make it happen
- 16/11/2008 - East West Rail consortium reveals progress on western section
- 16/11/2008 - Lib Dem rail priorities include East West Rail according to press release
- 13/01/2007 - Marston Vale line gets further upgrade to increase line speed
- 13/01/2007 - Public consultation on design of the new Aylesbury Vale Parkway station
- 22/07/2006 - East West Rail Consortium keeps up the pressure
- 22/07/2006 - Willington Rowing Lake is approved - former Bedford-Sandy track bed will be severed
- 12/05/2006 - East West Rail Consortium announces further package of consultancy work to be carried out by Steer Davies Gleave
- 12/05/2006 - Funding of Aylesbury Vale Parkway (Berryfields) station helps progress towards East West Rail Link
- 06/03/2004 - East West Rail consortium produce glossy new leaflet
- 23/01/2004 - East-West rail plan turns to ODPM for cash
- 16/01/2004 - Milton Keynes growth plans help justify East West Rail Link
- 16/07/2003 - Alistair Darling offers olive branch to East West Rail supporters when announcing massive road schemes
- 05/06/2003 - East West Rail Link is "dead in the water" - only a West-West rail link - according to Bedford newspaper
- 24/02/2003 - Freight use could be saviour for East West Rail Link phase 1
- 24/02/2003 - Transport 2000 calls for reopening of Great Barford bypass inquiry to consider railway line beside road
- 04/11/2002 - Bedfordshire Railway and Transport Association protests about threat to Sandy-Bedford trackbed
- 07/10/2002 - East West Rail Link progresses silently
- 30/09/2002 - Bedford-Sandy Report available from Bedfordshire Railway and Transport Association
- 21/09/2002 - Liberal Democrats in Hunts call for straight line route from Cambridge to Bedford
- 23/08/2002 - Bletchley Flyover reopening to aid WCML upgrade work will benefit East West Rail Link
- 06/05/2002 - Investors "eager to fund" East West Rail Link
- 25/03/2002 - Consortium members and activities so far
- 25/03/2002 - EWRL promotion and website
- 25/03/2002 - Initial East-West services
- 25/03/2002 - Marston Vale resignalling project
- 25/03/2002 - Route for 'missing link'
- 18/01/2002 - Rail reopening faces battle against cyclists and rowers
- 12/11/2001 - Skanska to identify Cambridge-Bedford route by early 2002
- 03/10/2001 - Consortium confident that EWRL will go ahead
- 03/10/2001 - Newspapers finally report that SRA has rejected funding of the East-West Rail Link
- 03/10/2001 - Norfolk County Council lobbies Stephen Byers for EWRL
- 23/08/2001 - BRTA asks campaigners to lobby SRA to approve funding for EWRL phase 1 - Bicester to Bletchley
- 23/08/2001 - East West Consortium remain hopeful after SRA turned down funding for EWRL phase 1 - Bicester to Bletchley
- 09/08/2001 - SRA turns down funding for "Phase 1 West" - Bicester to Bletchley
- 29/03/2001 - GB Railways and EWRC select preferred bidder to develop missing link
- 12/02/2001 - Compensation for homeowners near Bicester-Bletchley line
- 12/02/2001 - Forest Heath remain in Consortium
- 12/02/2001 - SRA finances new station on Oxford-Bristol route
- 08/02/2001 - SRA decision on funding
- 08/02/2001 - Tender published by East West Rail Ltd
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