Universal Studios to be served by new East West Rail station

A new railway station is set to be built to serve the proposed Universal Studios UK theme park.

The station in Stewartby, Bedfordshire, will be part of the East West Rail (EWR) line, which aims to connect Oxford to Cambridge, via Milton Keynes and Bedford.

East West Rail Company (EWR Co) said it made 80 new design changes after public consultation.

Its plans include the redevelopment of Bedford railway station, reducing the number of stations on the Marston Vale Line and bringing forward plans to build a new station at Tempsford.

The company said its latest update showed “how feedback from communities and stakeholders has directly influenced the development”.

On the Marston Vale Line, the number of stations between Bletchley in Buckinghamshire and Bedford would be reduced from 10 to four, including new stations at Woburn Sands, Ridgmont and Lidlington.

It said “many existing stations are amongst the least used in the country, with poor accessibility, outdated facilities and infrequent, slow services”.

Up to five trains an hour will run during peak times “to help cater for people wanting to travel to Universal Studios theme park”.

Stewartby station, currently located close to Kimberley Sixth Form College, will be moved north of Broadmead Road.

EWR Co said the move was needed “to support sustainable travel to and from this international destination”.

Mark Lehain, executive head teacher at Wootton Academy Trust, which runs the college, said it “will bring bigger, more frequent and more reliable trains for everyone – which is brilliant for the college and the wider community, too”.

In Bedford, the current station would be “redeveloped and rebuilt” to deliver a “state-of-the-art transport hub”, the company said.

It is also proposing a new pedestrian plaza and new platforms.

A new multi-storey car park would be built to the west of the station to “reduce the visual impact for those on Ashburnham Road and maximise development opportunities near to the station”.

At Bedford St Johns Station, by Bedford Hospital, the proposed station and tracks “will be located entirely on existing railway land between Ampthill Road and Cauldwell Street bridges”.

The company said it would avoid demolishing Ampthill Road and Cauldwell Street bridges but more checks were needed to “assess their condition to see if they can stay in place while the track is lowered”.

It said at Tempsford, where a major new town of about 317,000 residents could be built by 2040, the government had asked it to “bring forward transport connectivity to support that ambition”.

The route will run to the north of the Black Cat roundabout, which is part of a £1bn redevelopment.

The line will serve both EWR and the East Coast Main Line.

The route chosen was shorter, more cost-effective and aimed to be “less disruptive to local roads and communities than the alternative”, the company added.

David Hughes, chief executive officer of EWR Co, said: “We’re focused on improving connectivity where it matters most to provide better outcomes for passengers, local communities and the environment.

“We’re also making sure this railway supports growth, offers better value for taxpayers, and creates modern, accessible stations for the future to deliver the sustainable transport link this region needs to thrive.”

Further public engagement sessions and consultations would take place next year before a finalised application was presented to the government, the company added.

The whole scheme is expected to end up costing between £5.1bn and £6.06bn.