THE GOVERNMENT has earmarked an extra £760 million to develop the next phase of the East West Rail line linking Milton Keynes and Bedford with Oxford.
The works between Bicester and Bletchley are expected to create 1,500 new jobs. The funding is to be spent on construction of new stations at Winslow and Bletchley as well as enhancements to existing stations along the route.
By 2025, two trains per hour will run between Oxford and Milton Keynes via Bletchley.
The announcement has been welcomed by the two MPs for Milton Keynes.
Iain Stewart, whose Milton Keynes South constituency includes Bletchley, said: “I have been campaigning for East West Rail for years and I am thrilled by this latest phase of investment. Residents in Bletchley can already see preparatory work under way.
“The reopening of this railway will be a huge boost for our area and the government’s additional Towns Fund investment in Bletchley will help us reap the maximum benefit.”
The investment is an important milestone in the delivery of East West Rail, which will provide better connectivity along the Oxford-Cambridge arc and shorten journey times between routes outside of London which will stimulate economic growth.
Ben Everitt, MP for Milton Keynes North, said: “Milton Keynes is right at the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc and this extra connectivity means we will be able to strengthen our position as a business hub.
“At the General Election I stood on a Conservative manifesto of levelling up and improving infrastructure and that is exactly what we are doing by improving our railway links.”
Announcing the funding, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Restoring railways helps put communities back on the map and this investment forms part of our nationwide effort to build back vital connections and unlock access to jobs, education and housing.
“Returning these routes to their former glory, and progressing work to reopen even more lines and stations, shows our commitment to levelling up journeys across the country as we build back better from the pandemic.”
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