East West Rail is a major project to establish a strategic railway connecting East Anglia with central, southern and western England. The western section is now funded to re-introduce passenger and freight services between Bedford, Oxford, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury by upgrading existing and mothballed rail track.
Works planned in Central Bedfordshire
East West Rail represents a once in a generation opportunity to provide a reliable, frequent train service for communities between Bletchley and Bedford, along the Marston Vale Line. The current infrastructure has not had significant upgrades for decades, which has affected reliability.
Making it easier to get around
East West Rail will make it easier to get around the Marston Vale area with fast, affordable and reliable connections, which will help to reduce car dependency and congestion.
Reach the rest of the UK more easily
East West Rail will connect to most of the north-south main lines making it easier to get to the rest of the UK by train from the Marston Vale area. Improved connections to UK airports will also make overseas destinations more accessible.
Greener journeys
East West Rail will take cars off the road by providing regular train services across the region. Not only will this reduce traffic and make roads safer, but it will also improve air quality. Compared to a car journey, travelling by train can reduce emissions by up to two thirds.
More information
Visit East West Rail's website.
East West Rail is being delivered by the East West Rail Company, a company created by the Department for Transport.