Launch of East West Rail services to be delayed in row over guards on trains

Trains between Oxford and Milton Keynes put back to 2026 partly due to dispute, Chiltern Railways says

The start of passenger services on the new East West Rail line will be delayed until at least 2026 with no start date confirmed, the operator has said, partly due to a row over guards on the trains.

Passenger trains were supposed to come into service between Oxford and Milton Keynes this autumn, the first stage on the new railway along the Oxford-Cambridge arc where the government hopes for rapid economic growth.