Crime & Safety
Petition calls for progress on Oxford to Cambridge trainline
Calls for progress continue to be made by people who are frustrated by the delay to the line’s re-opening to passengers after nearly 60 years, despite construction being completed on the section from Oxford to Milton Keynes in December 2024.
Currently, only freight trains are running on the route which connects Oxford, Oxford Parkway and Bicester to Cambridge, via stations like Milton Keynes and Bedford.
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Among the issues which have delayed the official opening of the £7 billion new train line is an ongoing dispute between the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union, which represents train guards and drivers, and East West Rail line operator Chiltern Railways.
A newly launched petition is calling for the Government to ‘end the deadlock’.
It said: “The East West Rail Line was due to open last December for passenger services. It’s still not running.
“The Government needs to break the deadlock between Chiltern Railways and unions.
“There needs to be effective negotiation to resolve differences and find a solution. Services need to run urgently.
“People moved to the East West Rail Line corridor for work and to use the train for other reasons.
“Some have lost jobs because of the delay. Others, who expected to take the train, are struggling to battle rush hour traffic to places like Oxford.”
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Railfuture, a campaign group promoting the expansion and efficacy of rail transport in the UK, said a dispute between the RMT Union and Chiltern Railways over Driver Only Operation is to blame for the delays.
The union said Chiltern Railways wants train drivers to open and close the doors at stations, with no train guards required – something which it has condemned as ‘unsafe’.
David Richardson, spokesperson for the Thames Valley branch of Railfuture, said: “We wholeheartedly support this petition and would urge anyone wanting to see better rail services in Oxford to support it.
“We have suffered major disruption while the new bridge at Oxford station is put in to support an extra platform and new rail services, yet here we have a restored rail route that is open to freight trains but no passenger services are running.”
He said the petition would be discussed at the campaign groups AGM on May 12 in West Oxford Community Centre.
“Any further delay would be very, very frustrating,” Mr Richardson added.
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The RMT Union disputes that the delay has been caused by its dispute with the train operator.
A union spokesperson said: “It is simply inaccurate to blame delays to East West Rail 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.”
They added delays to the reopening are due to the central section between Bedford and Cambridge still needing to be built, vacancies on the line, issues with the stations which have been built and new railways having to be designed, agreed and approved.
The spokesperson said: “We are opposed to Driver Only Operation because it is vital there is a second safety critical person on board.
“This can include being responsible for door operations but it is a highly varied role, dealing with passengers safety, particularly in emergencies.
“The guaranteed presence of a second onboard safety critical staff member provides a safer environment and reassurance to passengers particularly women and girls travelling alone.
“RMT members are committed to delivering a safe and reliable railway, but they will not accept being used as cover for failures in project management.”
A spokesperson for Chiltern Railways said: “Since being announced as operator of the first stage of East West Rail between Oxford and Milton Keynes in March 2025, we have been working at pace to get everything ready for services to begin on the new line.
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“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.”
Daniel Kaveh, 24, Justin Hughes, 25 and Kailan Chadbone, 20, were each sentenced to years in jail at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, May 29 for supplying and dealing drugs on the streets of Oxford.
Kaveh, of Lambourn Road in Oxford, and Hughes, of Woodperry Road, played ‘significant’ roles in an ‘open line’ class A drugs operation in Blackbird Leys between November 2024 and last November, the court heard.
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Kaveh was previously in court in 2021 after pulling out a ‘Rambo’ knife in a stabbing incident in Lambourn Road in Rose Hill in November 2020 which resulted in a 12 month jail sentence suspended for two years.
Between them, they supplied around 4.6kg of crack cocaine and heroin to the drugs line.
Police raids on Hughes’ home also found 232g powder cocaine and 2.338kg of cannabis, for which he was sentenced for possession with intent to supply, along with a quantity of cash, drugs paraphernalia and weapons.
Raids on Kaveh’s property found similar equipment and drugs like heroin and diamorphine, with a total street value of more than £100,000.
It was established the two dealers worked for Emman Riasat, who ran his own drug line in Oxford and wholesale supplied drugs to the line operating out of Blackbird Leys.
Hughes received a jail sentence of six years and nine months for two counts of class A drug supply and two counts of possession, while Kaveh was jailed for seven years and six months for two counts of class A drug supply.
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Also working for Riasat was Chadbone, of Bernwood Road, who worked lower down in the operation as a drugs runner.
He pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and diamorphine between August 1 and November 19, 2025, committed while he was serving a suspended sentence for affray.
Chadbone received a total of 45 months in jail for two counts of drug supply and the breach of a previous suspended sentence.
‘Sundays in the Park’ took place in Garth Park on May 31, thanks to a collaboration between Bicester Town Council and Bicester Live.
Visitors enjoyed performances from Ukesnaile, Bicester Concert Band, and Malish, offering a variety of covers from pop to garage.
Food was provided by Garth Park Kitchen, with options like British bockwurst, halloumi buns, and wood-fired cheeseburgers, while others brought their own picnics to enjoy in the sunshine.
The council’s events team said: “We can’t wait to welcome you all for an afternoon of live music, great food, and community fun in the beautiful surroundings of Garth Park.”
The next ‘Sundays in the Park’ event will be held on June 14, featuring Hook Norton Brass Band and local soloists, starting at 12.30pm.
In a Facebook post on ‘Raise the Colours: Oxfordshire’, the principal leader of the group asked campaigners to join the demonstration for ‘justice for Henry Nowak’.
The protest follows days of demonstration outside the police station following the murder of University of Southampton student Henry Nowak.
Protesters hurled bins, chairs and bricks at police as hundreds gathered outside the station.
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Activist Tommy Robinson and former actor Laurence Fox were among those who spoke to the crowd.
Speaking to the crowd Robinson said: “I heard someone say this wasn’t about race, this is about race.
“A white boy who done nothing was handcuffed, a murderer in possession of a knife who stabbed someone five times isn’t.”
Demonstrators were heard chanting “Henry, Henry” as large group moved across town and threw object at police in riot gear.
The controversy surrounding the murder of Mr Nowak centres on the initial police response after the 18-year-old student was stabbed in Southampton in December 2025.
A trial heard that officers arriving at the scene were allegedly misled by the killer, Vickrum Digwa, 23, who claimed he had been the victim of a racist assault.
Police initially placed Mr Nowak in handcuffs.
In camera footage Nowak can be heard telling officers that he had been stabbed, with an officer on the scene replying “don’t think you have mate”.
Hampshire police’s Deputy Chief Constable Robert France said that within three minutes of interacting with Nowak they were starting to perform CPR.
He added that: “This is a complete tragedy and I am sorry that they couldn’t save Henry that night and I’m sorry that Henry was handcuffed and arrested as he lost consciousness.”
In a statement to the press outside Southampton Crown Court after Digwa was sentenced, Mark Nowak, Henry’s father, said: “We are calling on the Government to treat knife crime as the national emergency that it is.
“Henry did not die with dignity. He did not die with the care he deserved. He lost consciousness before anyone believed him.”
A group of Oxford ‘patriots’ are due to protest in Oxford this week as well.
Aiden Noble, organiser of the protests, is calling on the public to stand in ‘justice for Henry Nowak’ on Friday, June 5.
The group will gather at 6pm outside Carfax Tower to ‘demand answers, accountability, and justice for Henry Nowak’.
The protests join other demonstrations in Southampton, Birmingham, Nottingham, Blackpool, Liverpool, London, and Gloucester.
Vickrum Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 21 years served on Monday for the murder of 18-year-old Mr Nowak in Southampton.
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