Депутаты предупредили о риске повторения провалов проекта HS2 при строительстве East West Rail

MPs have expressed concerns that the East West Rail line is becoming a repeat of HS2. In a joint statement Olly Glover, MP for Didcot and Wantage, Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Charlie Maynard, MP for Witney, Freddie Van Mierlo, MP for Henley and Thame and Calum Miller, MP for Bicester and Woodstock and three MP's from Cambridgeshire expressed their doubts about the project. In a letter to David Hughes, the CEO of East West Rail, Secretary of State Heidi Alexander and Rail Minister Lord Hendry, the MPs said: "The slow progress of the project leads many to question whether this will ever happen, and whether it is a repeat of HS2." The MPs highlighted how the Oxford to Cambridge opening was set to be 2028, and now has slipped to the late 2030s and costs have now rise, with £188 million spent on planning alone in just one year. They said the project risks "repeating the time and cost failures of every other major British rail project of the past decade". The MPs are urging the Secretary of State, Rail Minister, and CEO of East West Rail to rethink the partial electrification and battery trains of the line, stating it rules out faster lines. Secondly, they are urging those in charge to provide adequate parking and bicycle parking slots at each station to cope with demand, and alignment with current train timetables to cut journey times. READ MORE: New MOD Bicester asylum centre ‘planned since November’, says MP The MPs are also demanding a further inspection of efficent integration with other railway proposals, new stations, consideration of the impact of construction works, consider an appropriate site for a shared train care facility, and a regular passenger service between Milton Keynes and Oxford. East West Railway Company confirmed that infrastructure for the section between Bicester and Bletchley was handed over to Network Rail in December 2024 following the completion of construction. Chiltern Railways, which was named as the operator of the first stage between Oxford and Milton Keynes in March 2025, said "significant progress" has already been made in preparing for the launch. This includes recruiting 44 trainee drivers, completing a new depot and colleague hub at Bletchley, and advancing work at Winslow Station, which is now in its testing and commissioning phase. Millions of pounds of funding has been allocated to create a new entrance at a railway station on the East West Rail route, which will eventually link Oxford and Cambridge. The Government has put forward £17m to support construction of an eastern entrance to Bletchley station, on top of a commitment of up to £5m from Milton Keynes City Council in Buckinghamshire. It will create a direct gateway between the station and Bletchley's main high street, improving access for passengers and supporting businesses. The Department for Transport confirmed the line had been put in the December timetable but only the 'base timetable' and it isn't confirmed to run in December.