Chiltern Railways confirmed as operator for East West Rail project launching in Aylesbury Vale

This morning, the Department for Transport confirmed Chiltern Railways will be running its new billion-pound rail network, with trains expected to transport passengers on the service later this year.

Chiltern Railways has been training 44 new drivers in preparation for the project that included the construction of a new station in Winslow.

It is hoped that the wide-reaching project which will connect Cambridge and Oxford, will boost the economies of the cities and towns included on the rail line. Milton Keynes residents are set to benefit from faster trains between Oxford and the city, while an estimate 100 new jobs have been created as part of the first phase of the scheme.

An Aylesbury spur was widely discussed as part of the East West Rail scheme, but remains absent from the approved stages of construction, despite strong local support for a quicker transport service between the town and Milton Keynes.

Projections released by the Department for Transport show that East West Rail is set to generate £6.7bn of growth per year in Oxford-Cambridge by 2050.

The new line will initially link Oxford and Milton Keynes for the first time in nearly 60 years.

Rail minister Peter Hendy said: “Appointing Chiltern Railways to run the first East West Rail services is one of the crucial last steps in getting the line up and running later this year and means local people in the area are closer to experiencing the benefits of this transformative project.

“This milestone demonstrates that we are serious about unlocking the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, providing greater connectivity across the region and delivering on our Plan for Change mission to drive economic growth.”

Chiltern Railways currently operates the commuter line which runs between Aylesbury’s train stations and London Marylebone.

Richard Allan, managing director of Chiltern Railways, said: “Chiltern has a proud track record of delivering new services and infrastructure, including our London to Oxford connections and introduction of new stations at Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village.

“We are looking forward to carrying customers on this exciting new route which is set to make a critical contribution to the UK’s economic growth.”

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