Overview
- EWR Co unveiled revised plans for the Oxford–Milton Keynes–Bedford–Cambridge link with up to five trains per hour and a staged build that opens sections as they are finished.
- The update adds a proposed Stewartby station to serve Universal's planned resort near Bedford, reflecting expected extra passenger demand.
- The plans propose a new Cambridge East station near the city airport and a new step-free entrance at Cambridge station with added bike storage and street upgrades.
- Design changes include lowering the track by six metres between Bourne Brook and Harlton, extending the Harlton Road tunnel to 940m, building a green bridge on the A603, and using hybrid battery-electric trains to cut emissions.
- A public consultation runs until June 9 to shape the final design before a 2027 Development Consent Order bid, and local comments raise doubts about demand, junction capacity and where stations should sit.