East West Rail confirms plans to deliver new station at Tempsford - but will it mean more housing?

As Rachel Reeves MP addressed the nation today (January 29), she announced more funding for better links between Oxford and Cambridge.

This means that Tempsford's new station is now set to be delivered up to five years earlier than planned – providing a station for services on the East Coast Main Line travelling north to south, whilst the Oxford to Cambridge rail line is still under construction.

David Hughes, CEO of East West Railway Company, said: “The Chancellor’s decision highlights the crucial role East West Rail will play in unlocking growth for the UK economy by providing infrastructure which can support new jobs and much needed affordable housing in the region, as well as supporting Cambridge’s world leading life sciences cluster.”

When built, East West Rail will connect Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.

The aim is to boost access to jobs, and education and business opportunities, while "unlocking economic growth and productivity right across the region".

East West Rail Company stated: "This announcement was part of a range of plans unveiled by the Chancellor to boost growth along the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.

"By delivering a phased approach to the construction of a station at Tempsford, new housing and growth opportunities can then be brought forward."

However, questions remain about whether the new station means more housing for the area.

Last year, think tank UKDayOne published an online report that suggested Tempsford and its surroundings might be an ideal location for a new town that could be “larger than Oxford or Cambridge and comparable to the largest postwar new towns”.

And although the think tank's vision was just a suggestion, Councillor Adam Zerny, leader of Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC), says that the Labour government "intends to announce new towns in July of this year".

Commenting on on social media, he claimed: "The government is clearly serious about major housebuilding and sees our region as an ideal location. East West Rail is a big part of this and while they were not mentioned today, the proposed Universal theme park and planned expansion of Luton Airport could well become further justifications in the near future.

"It is my role as a councillor and as Leader of the council to get the best for residents, and I will continue to highlight to the government that development must be in the right places and must have the right infrastructure. Economic growth is important but the pursuit of such growth must not be to the detriment of those of us who live in our area."

Today's announcement from the Chancellor followed her budget announcement in October, in which she outlined the government’s commitment to delivering East West Rail in full.

Proposals on the site options and detailed design of Tempsford station is under review after the latest public consultation on East West Rail ended last week.

Feedback is now being analysed and the final design of the railway – including the location of the station at Tempsford – will be presented at a statutory consultation due to be held in the next 12 months.

Click here for more information about the East West Rail project.