Council faces £32 million bill over halted Wixams railway station
Bedford Borough Council faces a forecast £32.1 million bill after halting construction of Wixams Station, with final costs still unknown and no reimbursement expected from central government.
The council has formally terminated its contract with Network Rail to build a two-platform station at Wixams following the government’s decision to support a new Universal Destinations & Experiences theme park and resort south of Bedford.
Network Rail has now been mandated by the Department for Transport (DfT) to design and deliver a larger four-platform station instead.
Construction of the council-led station began in September 2024 and work was halted following the April 2025 announcement of the Universal development.
Jo Branson-Budd, head of capital projects, infrastructure and sustainable travel, told Thursday’s Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee (January 15) site works actually concluded on site in November.
“We visited the site with representatives from Network Rail, Urban and Civic (the landowner), and Bedford Borough Council officers to look and inspect the site.
“And agree the transfer of assets and the land back to Urban and Civic.”
Ms Branson-Budd told committee members that the £32.1m is the forecast total cost to the council from 2018 onwards, including feasibility, design and construction, but the final costs will not be known for up to 12 months.
“[This is] because it’s an emerging cost basis that contractually the cost still follows through,” she said.
“They are starting to slow down now, but sometimes those costs do take a period of time to come through.
“We have a very experienced cost consultant who challenges [costs] to the hilt. [Network Rail] commented that they’ve never actually quite been challenged to this degree before.
“But that is the forecast worst case scenario. The trajectory was far worse than that, and the costs are coming down.”
Councillor Graeme Coombes (Conservative, Wixams and Wilstead) asked whether any of the £32 million could be recharged to the DfT.
Ms Branson-Budd replied: “No, we won’t get any reimbursement, however we will save the cost of completing the works that were started.”