Transport Insights

The transport stories you won't see in the industry-friendly media

Author

Chris Ames

Tag: east west rail

  • Testing times for East West Rail

    There may be some movement on the opening of passenger services on the first phase of East West Rail, with the delivery of trains said to be “imminent”, albeit that they still have to be tested – and who knows how long that might take?

    Certainly not ministers at the Department for Transport.

    The last we heard, final modifications to trains – one of a number of issues to be resolved – were “expected to be delivered and tested in the coming months”.

    But in response to another question on the issue, from Tory MP Shivani Raja:

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122594, when she expects trains for the first EWR services between Oxford and Milton Keynes to have been sufficiently fully tested for passenger services to commence.

    Very junior transport minister Keir Mather said:

    Chiltern subleases the trains that will be used on East West Rail from West Midlands Trains. The operator continues to work jointly with the train owner and the industry supply chain on the schedule for the final modifications which are expected to be delivered and tested imminently.

    It’s progress of sorts, but note that the question was when the trains might be “sufficiently fully tested for passenger services to commence” but the answer appeared to relate to the delivery, with (perhaps understandably) no timetable for the testing to be completed.

    I have said that the bit that is currently built is one of three “connection stages” but East West Rail Co is planning to replace these with ‘delivery phases’, with new stations and sections of the railway “opening as soon as they are ready rather than waiting for the whole route to be completed”.

    Good luck with that!

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  • What next? Unexpected leaves on the line?

    Rail magazine reports that the rail minister has blamed the “unexpected” general election nearly two years ago as the main reason behind the failure to begin passenger services on the first phase of East West Rail (EWR).

    Lord (Peter) Hendy did indeed use this excuse in a letter to Callum Anderson, Labour MP for Buckingham and Bletchley on 31 March.

    There are several reasons why EWR services have not begun, but the primary one is that the commercial negotiation with Chiltern was interrupted by the unexpected General Election of July 2024 and was thus very protracted.

    In fact, the excuse was rolled out slightly earlier as part of an ongoing series of parliamentary questions and answers that reveal that ministers still do not have a clue when services will run on what is officially called Connection Stage 1, from Oxford to Milton Keynes / Bletchley, where test trains first ran in October 2024.

    On 25 March, transport minister Keir Mather told Tory MP Joe Robertson:

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  • Mather: I haven’t a clue

    The shambles that is East West Rail continues, with very junior minister Keir Mather unable to say when actual passenger services might start.

    He was asked by South Devon MP (but Transport Committee member) Rebecca Smith:

    in which month will the first East West Rail services operate from Winslow to Bletchley.

    And replied:

    The Department continues to work closely with Chiltern Railways and other partners to confirm a start date for the first EWR services between Oxford and Milton Keynes Central via Winslow. For passenger services to commence, trains will need to have been modified and fully tested, and driver training will need to have been completed. Winslow station also needs to be fully handed over, and future staffing arrangements also remain to be agreed.

    We knew all of this already so the only thing that Mather’s non-answer reveals is that he hasn’t a clue.

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  • A laughing stock

    Rail magazine reports that there is still no passenger service on East West Rail 500 days after it opened to traffic.

    Frustration is growing among residents and local politicians over the absence of passenger services along the route of the first phase of East West Rail, 500 days since the line opened to traffic and as the first anniversary approaches of Chiltern Railways being awarded the operating contract.

    EWR has been beset by problems that have prevented services from running – including trade disputes, issues with rolling stock, and construction delays.

    The latter includes at Winslow station – the only new station between Oxford and Milton Keynes.

    The trade disputes include an ongoing argument over whether trains will run on driver only operation – an issue that has long been expected to cause a row with rail unions.

    Similarly, the BBC reported a month ago:

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  • Labour botches start of East West Rail

    Services on the first phase of East West Rail are set to miss the target of the end of this year as the operator seeks to continue the de-staffing of the railways in the wake of the recent attack on a train.

    At the same time, the completion of the whole, three-phase route is at the very least delayed further, if it ever happens.

    I’ve written before about the lack of a commitment to the previous December start date for the first phase and last week Heidi Alexander was unable to say anything positive to the Transport Committee. Now the BBC reports that:

    The BBC understands train operator Chiltern Railways is in a standoff with the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, which represents train guards, over how East West Rail services between Oxford and Milton Keynes will run.

    The RMT said the operator wants train drivers to open and close the doors at stations, with no guards required.

    Passenger trains were scheduled to start running between Oxford and Milton Keynes for the first time in nearly 60 years by the end of December.

    An RMT spokesman said: “On Chiltern and East West Rail, we can confirm that management have written to the union spelling out their plans for DOO.

    “We are seeking talks and RMT’s standing policy is that we are opposed to DOO.”

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  • No timetable for East West Rail

    Anyone planning to catch a train in the new-ish East West Rail line should not hold their breath as the only transport minister who is answering parliamentary questions on anything has declined to give a start date for any of its “connection stages”, including one that was scheduled to start this year.

    Layla Moran, LibDem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, put down a parliamentary question:

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she expects the first phase of East-West Rail to open this year; and what her Department’s planned timetable is for the opening of the (a) Bletchley to Bedford and (b) Bedford to Cambridge sections.

    Local transport minister Simon Lightwood’s reply was full of wishful thinking but without any firm timetable:

    The Department is working closely with Chiltern and other partners to confirm a start date for the service. We are looking forward to commencing services as soon as all necessary approvals and infrastructure are in place. Passenger services will commence once train testing and driver training have been completed. As for the second and third connections phases; the Government has committed to accelerating work to deliver EWR services between Oxford-Bedford. The full Oxford-Cambridge service is subject to an application for a Development Consent Order and is planned to commence from the mid-2030s.

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