First trains travel along newly rebuilt East-West railway line
Two passenger trains have today travelled along the newly re-constructed east-west line between Oxford and Bletchley.
A Class 168 and Class 800 both traversed the line today with a video uploaded by Network Rail here. Today’s trains reached a top speed of 100mph along the route.
The re-opened East-West line is set to welcome its first passengers in 2025 and could extend east to Cambridge via Milton Keynes – funding permitting.
Doing so would permit cross-country travel avoiding congested London routes but also facilitate new housebuilding around stations.
Controversial
One aspect that has gained criticism is that a (practically) brand new railway opening in 2025 will be powered by diesel trains. The decision to electrify for faster services and low emissions was dropped.
A substantial package of works has been carried out including:
- 70km of new track and drainage
- Installation of a new signalling and telecoms system
- 5 new overbridges
- 12 new footbridges
- 5 bridges with new decks
- 22 refurbished bridges
In total the project totals three stages if it does manage to replicate the varsity line between oxford and Cambridge.
Passenger services stopped back in 1967.
Now both Oxford and Cambridge are booming and that decision looks a terribly short-sighted move. Milton Keynes too has ample land around the station for new homes if capacity is there to utilise.
Further tests will be undertaken in coming months.
Christian Irwin, Network Rail’s Director of Capital Delivery, said: “Today is a huge milestone for the East West Rail project. I am incredibly proud of the partnership between Network Rail, our East West Rail Alliance supply chain partners, the DfT, EWR Company and Chiltern Railways, in successfully completing the construction and entry into service of the new railway between Bicester and Bletchley.
“The running of our first test train today is a huge achievement and brings us one step closer to restoring train services between Oxford and Milton Keynes for passengers.”
It’s nice to see the former Varsity Line coming back and to bring back trains that once were used on the Varsity Line from Cambridge to Oxford and the West of England. Hopefully the central section between Bedford and Cambridge should get the go ahead with new stations being added at Tempsford and Cambourne.
As well as bring back the link to Aylesbury from Milton Keynes. The same could be said with the former Waverley Line that went from Edinburgh Waverley to Carlisle which was extended to Tweedbank in southern Scotland.
I agree. Network Rail Scotland should reinstate the former Waverley Line now known as the Borders Line to Carlisle from Tweedbank. And to form as an alternative route to get to Edinburgh Waverley without having to go via Carstairs. In case there are disruptions on the WCML to the north of Carlisle and trains heading to Edinburgh Waverley would be diverted via Tweedbank instead.
I think that the East West Rail link should extend all the way from Oxford to Cambridge and to connect with other routes. Such as to Norwich and Ipswich and to reinstate the Milton Keynes-Aylesbury section as part of the EWR link scheme. Anyways it is very nice to see the former Varsity Line coming back to life and to allow trains to run from the West of England to East of England via the South Midlands. And avoid going via London.