Milton Keynes to see £760 million railway link with Oxford

    By 2025, two trains are set to run per hour between Oxford and Milton Keynes via Bletchley.

    The Department for Transport is planning on reopening services between Bicester, Oxfordshire, Bletchley and Buckinghamshire. This will primarily be built on the former trackbed of the Varsity Line and marks the first time this rail line will be used in over 50 years after they initially closed during the 1960s.

    This development is part of the East-West Rail project, which aims to establish railway lines connecting East Anglia with Central, Southern and Western England.

    This move is expected to bring about the creation of 1,500 new jobs and will include the construction of two new stations at Winslow and Bletchley. In addition to these, multiple other improvements and enhancements will be added to existing stations along the route.

    Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, commented: “This is fantastic news. Milton Keynes is right at the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge arc, and this extra connectivity means we will be able to strengthen our position as a business hub.

    “At the General Election I stood on a Conservative manifesto of levelling up and improving infrastructure, and that’s exactly what we’re doing by improving our railway links."

    Iain Stewart, MP for Milton Keynes South, commented: "I have been campaigning for East West Rail for years and I am thrilled by this latest phase of investment."

    "Residents in Bletchley can already see preparatory work under way.

    "The reopening of this railway will be a huge boost for our area, and the Government’s additional Towns Fund investment in Bletchley will help us reap the maximum benefit."

    Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Restoring railways helps put communities back on the map and this investment forms part of our nationwide effort to build back vital connections and unlock access to jobs, education and housing.

    “Returning these routes to their former glory, and progressing work to reopen even more lines and stations, shows our commitment to levelling up journeys across the country as we build back better from the pandemic.”

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