The introduction of passenger services on the East West Rail project linking Oxford with Milton Keynes have been delayed.

Chiltern Railways, who had been confirmed as the planned operator of passenger services on the line, have announced plans to start running services in 2025 will now not happen. The operator has not confirmed when they intend for services to start running.

Reports last week suggested a key factor was a disagreement between Chiltern and the unions over whether trains on the line should be driver-only operations, although the company themselves did not cite this as a factor behind the announcement of a delay.

In a statement, Chiltern said that delays in preparing trains, issues in completing a brand new station in the Buckinghamshire town in Winslow and confirming operating patterns were the reasons to blame.

They said, “Since being announced as operator of the first stage of East West Rail between Oxford and Milton Keynes in March, we have been working at pace to get everything ready for services to begin on the new line.

“Significant progress has been made, including the hiring and training of 44 train drivers, the creation of a new colleague facility at Bletchley, and the fit out of a new modern station with step-free access at Winslow.

“However, there is work still to finish to prepare the trains, on Winslow station and on the operating arrangements for the new route. We are continuing to work with our partners on these to progress them as soon as possible.

“This means that we will not be able to start passenger services before the end of the year. We understand this will be disappointing to people looking forward to using the new route.

“We continue to work closely with Government, trade unions and industry partners, and will provide further updates when we are able to.”

Tracks were fully laid on the route over a period of several years, being finished in 2024 with Chiltern running a test service over the line in October 2024.

Freight trains have begun regularly running over the route since the summer, with the spur completed seeing tracks laid between Bicester and Bletchley to re-open a line that was closed to passenger trains during the Beeching cuts in the 1960s.

The ultimate ambition of the East West Rail project is to reinstate through trains from Oxford to Cambridge, with consultations currently taking place for where to put the line and how many stations are to be built beyond the end of the existing Marston Vale line at Bedford. Plans are currently intended for the full Oxford to Cambridge route to be open during the 2030s.

Reports last week suggested that rail worker unions ASLEF and RMT had objected to plans to run trains on the new Oxford-MK section as driver only operations.