UK: The Department for Transport has formally selected Arriva Group’s Chiltern Railways to operate Oxford – Milton Keynes passenger services on the first stage of the East West Rail line, which is to launch later this year.
The operator confirmed to Rail Business UK that it would use CAF Class 196 diesel multiple-units. These are to be sub-leased from West Midlands Trains. Chiltern expects to run two trains per hour and create almost 100 jobs including driver apprenticeships.
‘Appointing Chiltern Railways to run the first East West Rail services is one of the crucial last steps in getting the line up and running later this year’, said Rail Minister Lord Hendy on March 25. ‘This milestone demonstrates that we are serious about unlocking the potential of the Oxford – Cambridge Growth Corridor, providing greater connectivity across the region and delivering on our Plan for Change mission to drive economic growth.’
Chiltern Railways Managing Director Richard Allan said the operator had ‘a proud track record of delivering new services and infrastructure, including our London to Oxford connections and introduction of new stations at Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village’.
David Hughes, CEO of Oxford to Cambridge railway project promoter East West Railway Co, said this was ‘the first part of East West Rail’s vision to extend services to Bedford and Cambridge’, which would ‘transform connectivity across the region and unlock new opportunities for economic growth’.
Services are expected to be extended over the upgraded Bletchley – Bedford line in 2030, and to continue to Cambridge over a new-build greenfield alignment from the mid-2030s. Long term plans included partial electrification at 25 kV 50 Hz and the use of hybrid battery-electric trains.
- Subscribers can read an exclusive interview with East West Railway Co CEO David Hughes in the February 2025 issue of Railway Gazette International.
