Build the East West Rail, fast(er)

Silicon Valley has Stanford. Boston has MIT. The UK’s closest answer is the Oxford-Cambridge corridor - a cluster of world-class universities, deep-tech startups, and venture-backed science firms.

But unlike its US counterparts, this hub of innovation is hamstrung by poor infrastructure. Travel between Oxford and Cambridge, just 66 miles apart, takes a painful two-and-a-half hours by train, while road connections are patchy at best. Enter East West Rail (EWR), a long-overdue project that could transform the UK’s high-growth economy.

The project, backed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, aims to build a high-speed rail link connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford, and Cambridge, cutting journey times, unlocking new housing, and fueling economic expansion. WSP and Mott MacDonald (MWJV) have been appointed as Principal Designer for the project. The government is finally signaling urgency, with Reeves confirming that a new station at Tempsford - a critical junction between the East Coast Main Line and EWR - will be delivered up to five years earlier than planned. This move is designed to catalyze new town developments, with 18 proposals already submitted for sizable housing projects along the route.

This is no ordinary rail project. It’s a bet on catalyzing the UK’s innovation economy. We need growth. Cambridge alone files more patents per capita than Boston, yet the region’s potential is throttled by housing shortages and commuter bottlenecks. Oxford’s biotech sector is booming, but companies struggle to attract top talent due to astronomical housing costs. Milton Keynes, a fast-growing hub for tech and logistics, sits in the middle but lacks efficient connectivity to these knowledge hubs. The EWR is designed to knit these cities into a single ‘mega-cluster’, creating a UK version of California’s Bay Area - minus the sunshine, of course.

The project is being delivered in three connection stages. The first stage - linking Oxford to Bletchley/Milton Keynes - is under construction, with passenger services expected by 2025. However, the later phases from Bletchley to Bedford and Bedford to Cambridge are still in the planning phase, with full services now pushed to the early 2030s. We need to move faster or the world will pass us by. We aren’t nearly dramatic enough in the UK - so expect some bombast when I write :)

The estimated cost for the entire project stands between £5.7 billion and £6.6 billion, with about £1.12 billion already spent, mostly on Connection Stage 1. Further funds have been allocated for planning the next two phases, but uncertainty around government budgets and planning decisions continues to drag out the timeline. This isn’t unproductive spend - this investment unlocks a flywheel of growth for the whole country. Public First estimates that unlocking better connectivity in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor could add £40 billion GVA in economic growth by 2035 and £14bn tax revenues … so £6.6 billion spent for £14 billion earned in revenues over 10 years - this means the investment more than doubles its return over a decade. Put another way, for every £1 spent, you generate over £2.5 in economic value. That’s the kind of infrastructure bet that pays for itself - unlocking growth, jobs, and new ventures in one of the UK’s most valuable innovation corridors.

Several key factors have contributed to delays and cost increases. The East West Rail project faces delays due to complex planning and environmental reviews, governance challenges between government bodies, technical uncertainties around electrification, and fiscal constraints from spending freezes. Without resolving these issues, EWR risks becoming another infrastructure project bogged down in bureaucracy - delaying its potential to unlock growth in the UK’s tech economy.

To unlock that growth, the project needs faster execution. Several measures could help mitigate delays and get the railway delivered on time:

1. Streamline the planning process - the UK’s infrastructure approvals process is too slow. Environmental and statutory reviews should be simplified to avoid excessive delays while maintaining high standards. This means setting clear deadlines for public consultations and minimizing redundant regulatory hurdles.

2. Enhance project governance - the fragmented coordination between the Department for Transport, East West Railway Company, and local authorities is slowing progress. A single, centralized delivery authority - or a one-stop shop coordination point - with clear accountability could accelerate decision-making and reduce interagency conflicts. In my view, this project is a national moonshot and needs the kitchen sink thrown at it.

3. Secure additional investment - public finances are tight, but the project is commercially viable. Engaging private investors and pension funds could provide alternative funding, reducing reliance on uncertain government budgets. East West Rail could tap into land value capture and Business Rate Supplements (BRS) to attract private investment. Developers benefiting from improved connectivity - through rising property values and increased demand - could contribute funding, as seen with Crossrail and Barking Riverside. This model aligns private sector gains with public infrastructure investment, reducing taxpayer burden. 🙊 I’d even think about hitting up some HNWIs that are interested in our talent hubs, *ahem* - Larry Elisson - … as well as perhaps *ahem* the University endowments themselves who will be significantly boosted when the rail is completed given they are a major landowner in the region and the custodians of talent in it’s major research hubs.

4. Resolve technical decisions early - the indecision around full electrification is a major stumbling block. Finalizing the project’s long-term energy and infrastructure needs now - rather than revising plans mid-construction - will save both time and money.

5. Improve stakeholder engagement - local opposition and planning objections have delayed countless UK infrastructure projects. Over 5,200 individuals attended 16 in-person events held along the entire route for public engagement on the project - this volume needs accommodating for and quick processing of input. A proactive, transparent engagement strategy with local communities and businesses can reduce resistance and speed up approval timelines.

Let me know what else can be done to unlock development of the East West Rail?

The Oxford-Cambridge corridor is one of the UK’s few globally competitive innovation clusters, yet it remains bottlenecked by poor infrastructure. Boston, Silicon Valley, NY have transit links between universities, startups, and investors - the UK should be no different.

Without fast, reliable connectivity, the region will struggle to attract and retain the high-skill talent necessary for scaling deep-tech and life science companies. Housing shortages will worsen, and Cambridge’s lab space crunch will remain unsolved. The East West Rail isn’t just about transport - it’s about unlocking the UK’s ability to compete on a global stage.

Labour has a rare chance to get this right. By delivering East West Rail on time, enabling housing development, and positioning Oxford-Cambridge as Europe’s Silicon Valley, the government can make a strategic bet that will pay dividends for decades.

The UK has the talent, the research institutions, and venture capital interest. Now it needs the infrastructure.

We attract the world’s top talent who come here to conduct meaningful research, build, and grow. We should connect our hubs together to help international talent flourish in the UK.

Unlocking the connectivity between Oxford, Cambridge, and London won’t deter growth in other regions - it will spur it on, attracting capital, talent density, and velocity of innovation that will spillover beyond the walled gardens.

Build East West Rail - and deliver it ahead of schedule - so the venture flywheel can finally start spinning at full speed.

Together, Britain can build.