Crime & Safety
£1.3bn Oxford to Milton Keynes train line unused for a year
The £1.8 billion rail link between Oxford and Milton Keynes is the first phase of the East West Rail line, a £7 billion train service corridor to from Oxford to Cambridge.
The Oxford-Bucks section was completed in October 2024 after construction began four years earlier.
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But, despite plans to run passenger trains from late 2025, the line is only open for freight trains and remains unused by the public amid an ongoing union spat.
One of the issues the delays are blamed on is a dispute between Chiltern Railways and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).
The trade union row is over the issue of whether the trains should have train guards to open and close the doors.
The union is against the use of Driver Only Operation (DOO) trains, claiming they are unsafe.
A new station with a £5 million investment in the Bucks village of Winslow also remains out of operation despite being completed in 2024.
Town councillor Diana Blamires said residents are “fed up” of the wait for train services to begin.
“Never mind rolling stock, it has become a laughing stock,” she said. “No one involved has shown any signs of getting this sorted.”
The councillor noted it is “very lucrative to have ‘fake’ trains” rattling through the town day and night, but there are “consequences” for the people actually living in the towns along the promised train route.
“It is catastrophic that people have moved to Winslow or any of these places between Milton Keynes and Oxford, thinking it’s a great place to get the train.
“The biggest failure here is the government. The taxpayer are dishing out £1 million for security each year for a station which isn’t even open.”
The project is expected to unlock £6.7 billion in economic growth, support 100,000 new homes, and provide more frequent trains for passengers between Oxford and Cambridge.
Passenger trains between Oxford and Milton Keynes, run by Chiltern Railways, were scheduled to launch by the end of December.
Roy and Bridget Kelsey have lived in Winslow for nine years and said while they thought the station would be beneficial, the lack of progress was concerning.
Mr Kelsey, in his 80s, said: “The station not being open does concern me.
“Two years ago we were all invited to a meeting when the construction was taking place and they had quite a lot of managerial types painting a wonderful, rosy picture of how everything was going to go.
“Now it has come to a full stop.”
Mr Kelsey added house prices had increased in the area since plans were announced for the station and he imagined they would continue to rise once it was running for passenger services.
Ray Dewberry, 72, has lived next to Winslow station for three years and said “nobody seems to know what’s going on”.
He said: “It’s silly how much money they’ve spent and it’s still not open.
“I’d use it all the time if it was cheap enough. We had some correspondence before Christmas to say it would open soon but nothing since.”
A Chiltern Railways spokesperson said: “Since being announced as operator of the first stage of East West Rail between Oxford and Milton Keynes in March, we have been working at pace to get everything ready for services to begin on the new line.
“Significant progress has been made, including the hiring and training of 44 train drivers, the creation of a new colleague facility at Bletchley, and the fit out of a new modern station with step-free access at Winslow.
“However, there is work still to finish to prepare the trains, on Winslow station and on the operating arrangements for the new route. We are continuing our work on these areas in conjunction with industry colleagues and will provide updates as soon as we are able to.”
An RMT spokesperson said: “Our dispute with Chiltern is about the introduction of Driver Only Operation and the running of services without a second safety critical person onboard between Oxford and Milton Keynes.
“It is simply inaccurate to blame delays on our dispute when the project has been held back for years by indecision, rising costs and unresolved planning issues.
“The industrial dispute only affects one part of the route and the biggest delays sit squarely with those in charge of managing the project.
“Even if the industrial dispute were resolved tomorrow, [the Oxford-Cambridge corridor] would still face major delays because the central section between Bedford and Cambridge has not been built or fully planned for.
“In many places the old railway route cannot be reused, so a new line has to be designed, agreed and approved.
“That means planning, land acquisition and construction are still ahead of us, and those are the real reasons this project is far from completion.
“Our members are committed to delivering a safe and reliable railway, but they will not accept being used as cover for failures in project management.”
Mourners, including members of the Royal Family, travelled to a small village in the county for the funeral of Lady Pamela Hicks on Saturday (June 13).
The service for the 97‑year‑old took place at St Bartholomew’s Church in Brightwell Baldwin, between Wallingford and Watlington.
Lady Pamela died last week at her home in the village, where she had lived for many years with her late husband, interior designer David Hicks.
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Among the mourners were Lady Helen Taylor, daughter of Prince Edward, and Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma.
There was no sign of King Charles or Queen Camilla, though, as the funeral came on the same day as Trooping the Colour, the King’s official London birthday parade.
Nevertheless, mourners paid their respects outside St Bartholomew’s Church as the coffin was carried inside, before following the procession for the service.
The small parish church is close to The Grove, the family house that became her long‑term base in Oxfordshire.
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According to the published order, the funeral was arranged in line with Lady Pamela’s wishes, with rousing hymns but no formal sermon or eulogy during the service.
Lady Pamela was a first cousin of the late Prince Philip and a great‑great‑granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
She was also a bridesmaid at the 1947 wedding of the then Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.
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The 97-year-old later served as a lady‑in‑waiting to Queen Elizabeth II and accompanied the then Princess on the 1952 tour of Kenya.
This was when news came through of King George VI’s death and Elizabeth’s accession to the throne.
Following her death on June 5, King Charles paid a warm tribute, saying he was “greatly saddened to learn of the death of Lady Pamela Hicks, a sorrow tempered by the fondest memories and deepest gratitude for her long life and loyal service to Queen Elizabeth.”
In the statement released by Buckingham Palace, he added that her “warmth, wit and perspicacity always made such an impression” and that she would be “so dearly missed by all those who knew and loved her.”
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Lady Pamela is survived by her three children, Edwina, Ashley and India, and several grandchildren, many of whom were expected to attend today’s village service.
Brightwell Baldwin is a small rural parish in South Oxfordshire, about four and a half miles north‑east of Wallingford and close to the foot of the Chiltern Hills.
The village, whose name comes from the Old English for “bright spring”, had a population of just over 200 at the last census and is centred around a handful of stone cottages, farms and the church.
St Bartholomew’s itself dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries, with later medieval additions, and is regarded as one of south Oxfordshire’s most interesting historic churches.
Led by manager Daley Cross, a renal and transplant youth worker at the Churchill Hospital, the England men’s side claimed the title with a 9-1 win over Scotland in the final.
The tournament, held in Dingwall at the Global Energy Stadium, brought together more than 60 transplant recipients from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with each team showcasing the life-changing impact of organ donation and the resilience of transplant recipients.
Mr Cross said: “While it’s fantastic to bring the trophy home, the most important thing is the message behind the tournament.
“This is about showing what organ donation makes possible. Every player is living proof of the difference it can make.”
Among the England squad were two kidney transplant recipients cared for at Churchill Hospital – defender Robert Collins, 23, who received a kidney from his uncle in 2009, and goalkeeper Adam Martin, 35, who received a transplant from his sister in 2023.
Mr Collins, from Bedfordshire, said: “I’ve always loved playing football. When I was ill, I couldn’t play at all and I really missed it.
“Having a transplant has given me the chance to get back on the pitch and enjoy the game again.
“Being part of this team makes it even more special. There’s a real bond between us, one that extends beyond football – we’ve all been given a second chance.
“Every time we play, it’s a celebration of that. Scoring goals and winning along the way also helps.”
Mr Martin, from Banbury, said: “Representing your country is always an honour, but doing it alongside all the other transplant recipients – and in recognition of our donors – means so much more.
“I’ll always be forever grateful for the support the team offers and also to my sister for giving me a second chance at life.”
England finished the tournament unbeaten, securing dominant group-stage wins against Scotland (10-0), Northern Ireland (8-2), and Wales (7-0) before winning the final.
Mr Cross, who has worked at Oxford University Hospitals for 11 years, said: “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved on the pitch, but above all we want to raise awareness and encourage more people to consider organ donation.
“It truly saves and transforms lives.”
The tournament also featured public outreach to encourage sign-ups to the NHS Organ Donor Register.
England’s transplant team will now set their sights on the Transplant Football World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany, taking place later this year.
The competition will bring together teams from around the world to promote organ donation and celebrate the achievements of transplant recipients on a global stage.
The actress, who was born and grew up in the city, is well known to audiences around the world after starring as Professor Sprout in several of the Harry Potter films.
Known for her character actor work across film, television, and stage, she received the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs Mingott in Martin Scorsese’s 1993 film, The Age of Innocence.
Ms Margolyes was awarded an OBE in 2002 for services to drama, but there were calls for this to be taken back last year.
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The 85-year-old, who is Jewish, has said that “people don’t like Jews” whilst speaking at the Hay Festival in Powys.
Ms Margolyes added that her Jewish identity has shaped her “whole life” and added: “What your parents teach you and what you learn from the community you live in.”
Addressing concerns about rising antisemitism, she told the audience: “Nobody likes me to say this, but I’m going to say it – people don’t like Jews.”
She reflected on how, after the Holocaust – “when millions of Jewish people, and people from other backgrounds, were killed by the Nazis during World War Two” – there was a period when people “realised that they couldn’t say nasty things about Jews because terrible things happened to Jews and they must be sympathetic, so it stopped.”
However, she added that, over time, when “people with no morals who happened to be Jewish” appeared in public life, “the knives came out again, and they have never been put away.”
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