£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.”

Cllr Diana Blamires (Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

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.”

Bridget and Roy Kelsey (Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

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.”

Ray Dewberry (Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

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.”

Winslow Train Station in Buckinghamshire is still closed with no sign of opening (Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

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.”