The
promised
consultation


into
the
next
steps
for
East
West
Rail
has
been
launched.

The
consultation
publicity
confirms
that
discontinuous
electrification
is
now
being
considered
for
the
whole
route,
which
would
be
served
by
hybrid
25kV/battery
trains.

The
section
between
Oxford
and
Bedford
was
to
have
been
electrified
in
full
under
the
2012
plans
for
an
Electric
Spine
connecting
Portsmouth
with
the
Midlands
but
this
was
later
abandoned,
and
it
was
decided
that
EWR
would
not
be
electrified,
although
passive
provision
has
been
made
for
overhead
wires
where
new
structures
have
been
built.

The
consultation,
launched
yesterday,
will
run
until
24
January,
and
there
will
be
16
events
from
next
Tuesday
onwards
which
can
be
visited
at
various
points
between
Oxford
and
Cambridge,
including
Bicester,
Steeple
Claydon,
Bletchley,
Bedford,
Tempsford
and
Woburn
Sands,
as
well
as
in
the
two
university
cities
themselves.

Virtual
webinars
have
also
been
arranged
on
three
dates,
while
there
is
a
virtual
consultation
room
where
information
will
be
available.

Services
are
due
to
begin
between
Bicester,
Bletchley
and
Milton
Keynes
next
year,
but
it
is
not
expected
that
the
existing
Bletchley
to
Bedford
section
will
be
incorporated
in
the
new
service
until
2030.
Some
stations
on
this
section
could
be
closed,
effectively
combining
them
with
others
nearby.

The
line
between
Bedford
and
Cambridge
is
expected
to
include
two
tunnels,
avoiding
the
need
for
large
cuttings.

Meanwhile,
further
station
enhancements
have
been
outlined
for
Oxford,
Oxford
Parkway,
Bicester
Village
and
Bletchley,
and
there
are
two
options
for
a
new
station
at
Tempsford.

Trains
are
likely
to
run
between
06.00
and
24.00
from
Mondays
to
Thursdays,
06.00
to
01.00
on
Fridays
and
Saturdays
and
07.00
to
23.00
on
Sundays.

East
West
Rail
Co
chief
executive
David
Hughes
said:
‘I’m
excited
to
present
our
updated
proposals,
which
include
electrification
to
reflect
our
commitment
to
running
a
net
zero
carbon
railway. 
Local
authorities
and
businesses
have
been
calling
for
this
railway
for
three
decades
and
our
revised
plans
aim
to
maximise
the
benefits
of
the
project.’