Universal Studios Bedford: East West Rail upgrades to support theme park brought forward

East West Rail Company (EWR) launched a new consultation today (April 14), which sets out updated proposals for the new railway.

The company said key design updates include an accelerated construction programme to “deliver the benefits of the railway” to communities earlier and the delivery of up to five trains an hour.

Chief executive David Hughes told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the project had been re-sequenced in response to the scale of demand expected from the Universal Studios Theme Park.

He said earlier plans for a single, slow train per hour between Oxford and Bedford by 2030 had been dropped after discussions with Universal.

“Having one small two-car train an hour would be a drop in the ocean in terms of the demand that it needs to cater for,” he said.

“We’ve rethought our plans, we are bringing forward the bulk of the work on that section of the railway between Bletchley and Bedford.

“So, the upgrade of the Marson Vale Line, its electrification, the building of the new stations, including Stewartby, we’re bringing all of that forward with the aim of getting it open as soon as possible.

“We don’t get our planning consent sent until late ’28, early ’29 at the earliest. It’s just not possible to get this done in time for the opening of the theme park,” he said.

Mr Hughes rejected suggestions the changes were primarily designed to benefit a private developer.

“This isn’t just about servicing Mickey Mouse [sic],” he said.

“The rail connectivity from Bedford to Oxford is a massive prize for [Bedford] Hospital and therefore the whole community.”

EWR said this latest consultation (running until June 9, 2026) gives communities a “vital opportunity” to help shape the final design of the railway linking Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge before its Development Consent Order (DCO) is submitted next year.

But there are ongoing concerns from residents that the project is being imposed on communities rather than shaped by them.

Mr Hughes said over 80 design changes were made following its previous consultation, but accommodating every bit of feedback would result in a “very strange” railway.

“If you turn up at our consultation event and say, ‘I think you’ve chosen the wrong route, you should be going south out of Bedford’, then, I hate to disappoint, there’s not a lot I can do with that at this stage. That decision was taken in 2023.

“Feedback absolutely matters, … we’re now at a point in the process where we are refining the design option that we will take to the planning application.”

Mr Hughes said the consultation “isn’t pointless” and every bit of feedback will still be recorded.

“[Consultation] does drive design change, it has done, and we will continue to refine the design off the back of the feedback we get in this consultation exercise as we head towards submission of our DCO application next year,” he said.

More information about the consultation and how to get involved can be found on EWR’s consultation webpage. Feedback must be received by 11.59pm on June 9, 2026.

Consultation events

April

• Monday, April 20: 6pm-8pm - Online webinar: https://shorturl.at/LdoK2
• Thursday, April 23: 2pm-7pm - Stuart Memorial Hall, Church Street, Tempsford, SG19 2AW
• Saturday, April 25: 12pm-5pm - Summerlin Centre, 138 Station Road, Woburn Sands, MK17 8SG
• Wednesday, April 29: 2pm-7pm - Bletchley Masonic Centre, 263 Queensway, Fenny Stratford, Bletchley, MK2 2BZ
• Thursday, April 30: 12pm-5pm - Stewartby Village Hall, Stewartby Way, MK43 9LU

May

• Friday, May 1: 2pm-7pm - Great Shelford Rugby Club, The Davey Field, Cambridge Road, Great Shelford, CB22 5JJ
• Wednesday, May 6: 2.30pm-4.30pm - Online webinar: https://shorturl.at/61gDs
• Tuesday, May 12: 11am-6pm - The King’s Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford, OX2 0ES
• Thursday, May 14: 2pm-7pm - Lidlington Village Hall, High Street, Lidlington, Bedford, MK43 0RN
• Friday, May 15: 2pm-7pm - Longueville Hall, Whaddon Road, Newton Longville, Milton Keynes, MK17 0AT
• Monday, May 18: 11am-6pm - Venture Conferencing, Christian Centre, Strudwick Drive, Oldbrook, Milton Keynes, MK6 2TG
• Thursday, May 21: 11am-6pm - Cambridge United Football Club, Cledara Abbey Stadium, Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LN
• Saturday, May 23: 11am-6pm - King's House, 245 Ampthill Road, Bedford, MK42 9AZ
• Saturday, May 30: 11am-6pm - Cambridge Belfry Hotel, Back Lane, Great Cambourne, B23 6BW

June

• Tuesday, June 2: 10am-12pm - Online webinar: https://shorturl.at/ljyQ0