EastWestRail announce plan to build new depot on outskirts of Bletchley

The operators of the EastWestRail project have announced plans to build a new depot to house its trains on the outskirts of Bletchley.

Bletchley West has been confirmed as the company’s preferred location for a new Train Maintenance Depot (TMD), which EastWestRail said will support the safe and reliable operation of services on East West Rail and is expected to create more than 100 full-time jobs.

The proposed site alongside Whaddon Road, west of Bletchley and north of Newton Longville, will provide part of the infrastructure for the project. A TMD is where trains are cleaned, inspected, maintained and stored, ensuring they remain safe, dependable and comfortable for passengers.

The Bletchley West TMD would include sidings capable of stabling up to 20 five-car trains, each around 120 metres long, alongside a modern maintenance workshop designed to service multiple trains at the same time. Facilities for heavier maintenance, train washing, traction power, staff accommodation, parking and a secure gatehouse are also proposed.

Bletchley West, which was chosen following a detailed assessment of other locations, offers the best balance between operational efficiency and minimising environmental impacts.

In a statement, EastWestRail said, “We are committed to engaging with the local community and stakeholders on our preferred site as we continue to develop our proposals. We are now considering two design layouts, both incorporating landscaping to reduce visual impact and we will also deliver 10 per cent Biodiversity Net Gain.

“Confirmation of Bletchley West follows the announcement of our Design Update Sessions, which includes two events in Bletchley where people can find out further details about the depot and talk to us about the plans. The event will also include the latest designs for the proposed eastern entrance at Bletchley station.”

An opening date for the latest phase of the project has not yet been announced but is expected at some stage in 2026. The opening will see Chiltern Railways services begin operations between Oxford, Bicester, the new Winslow station, Bletchley and Milton Keynes Central. The section of the line is already open for freight trains.

EastWestRail intends to fully re-open the Varsity Line, which ran between Oxford and Cambridge before being closed down in the 1960s. Plans are currently underway to re-open the section between Bedford and Cambridge, which is expected to open at some stage in the early 2030s.