UK ‘Silicon Valley’ rail link on track

The plan to establish a direct rail link between Oxford and Cambridge has been put on the fast track, with the launch of a new company: East West Railway Company.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling officially launched the company this week, which will be responsible for the restoration of the link between England’s two greatest universities, making sure it works for the passengers and the communities it will serve.

The new line will be one of the country’s most strategically important rail projects, providing a direct link through the corridor dubbed the UK’s own ‘Silicon Valley’. Due to complete in the mid-2020s, the new line will also create a direct link between East Anglia and central and southern England, delivering benefits for passengers and businesses regional and nationally by unlocking additional housing and economic growth.

The new company has been launched almost 50 years to the day since the closure of the old Varsity Line at the historic Second World War site of Bletchley Park.

As part of the announcement, the Transport Secretary visited Bletchley Station and Bletchley Viaduct, which are being re-opened as part of the new route. Bletchley Park was vital in the UK’s Second World War effort, and was a key stop on the old Varsity Line, and will now see new recognition lying at the heart of the East West Rail line.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “We are making the biggest investment in the railways since Victorian times to meet the growing demand for rail travel, while also boosting business and increasing productivity.

“East West Rail is the perfect example of how we can revitalise the railways, grow the network and unlock jobs and housing growth. And Bletchley Park – the home of World War II codebreakers – is the perfect location to mark the historic occasion, because the line will be key to the development of this corridor as a world-class centre for innovation, technology and high-skilled jobs.”

Rob Brighouse, interim chair of the company, said: “This railway has huge potential to spread prosperity all the way along the line, making life better for those who live and work here.

“That’s why it’s so important to deliver it quickly and cost effectively; and that’s what the East West Railway Company has been set up to do. We are working very closely with local representatives, to make sure we build a railway that works for the passengers and the communities it will serve.”

When the line opens, it will have interchange stations with four main railway lines radiating out of London, but it will run under or over each, minimising any risk of delay. The aim is to build a route that allows future upgrades to be incorporated with as little disruption as possible.

 

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