East West Rail Link
 |
|
| Location |
Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire |
|---|---|
| Proposer | East West Rail Consortium |
| Website | East West Rail Consortium |
| Status | Planned |
| Type | Railway |
| Cost estimate | £270 million (Oxford/Aylesbury – Bedford) £530 million (whole route) |
| Completion date | 2024 (Oxford – Bedford) |
| Geometry | KML |
East West Rail Link is a planned railway route linking Didcot, Oxford, Bicester, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich in England using part of the former Varsity Line (and thus provide a route between any or all of the Great Western, Chiltern, West Coast, Midland, East Coast, West Anglia and Great Eastern main lines, avoiding London). The western section from Oxford to Bedford was approved by the Government in November 2011, with completion of this section expected by 2025. Although most media attention is focussed on passenger services, the route is expected to be just as important for freight.
The plan is divided into three sections:
It was initially promoted by the East-West Rail Consortium, a consortium of local authorities and interested bodies along the route and has since been adopted by the Department for Transport and will be delivered by Network Rail and a private sector franchisee.
As of December 2016[update], the segment from Oxford via Bicester Village to the junction with the Chiltern Main Line is operational.
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