Phase 2 funding for East West Rail
THE UK government has committed £794m of funding for the East West Rail Oxford to Cambridge route and for the reintroduction of passenger services between Newcastle and Ashington. The deal was confirmed on January 23 by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and includes £760m for the second phase of East West Rail. The money will go towards completing track and signalling upgrades between Bicester, Bedford, Aylesbury and Milton Keynes, and also for the building of a new station at Winslow and enhancements to existing stations. Once completed, it is planned to run a two-trains-per-hour service between Oxford and Milton Keynes via Bletchley in 2025.
Meanwhile in Northumberland, £34m is to be made available for preparatory works, including land acquisition, detailed designs and early site activities, for the Northumberland Line project, which will introduce passenger services between Newcastle and Ashington using a freight-only line. The project includes new stations at Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, Newsham, Seaton Delaval and Northumberland Park, and will also require track renewals and the replacement of level crossings with bridges or underpasses.
Concerns have been raised about the decision not to electrify the East West route. Matt Rooney, Head of Engineering Policy at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers said: “It is a mistake and a missed opportunity. By choosing high carbon infrastructure for short-term cost savings, it would also send the wrong message in a year when we are hosting the UN climate change conference, COP26.” He added that, “if treated as a rolling national project, where skills and supply chains are maintained, the costs can be significantly reduced.”