East West Rail is a nationally significant railway project which aims to deliver much-needed transport connections for communities between Oxford and Cambridge by:
Upgrading an existing section of railway between Oxford and Bicester
Bringing back a section of railway between Bicester and Bletchley. Services start in December 2026 using trains like this one
Refurbishing existing railway between Bletchley and Bedford
Building brand new railway infrastructure between Bedford and Cambridge.
Trains are already running between Oxford and Bicester. Test trains are rnning between Bletchley and Bicester from October 2024. Passenger trains will start running between Bicester, Bletchley and Milton Keynes by 2026 (there is still no firm date for this) and are expected to run over the Bedford to Bletchley Railway by the early 2030s and onwards to Cambridge by the mid to late 2030s.
More details on the project can be found here
You can find the BBRUA response to the final consultation by East West Rail here