Summary
The launch of a new £7 billion railway line called East West Rail may be delayed due to a disagreement over who should control train doors. Chiltern Railways and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are in a standoff about whether train drivers or guards should operate the doors. The plan was for passenger trains to start by the end of December, but there is now no set timeline.
Key Facts
- A new railway line, East West Rail, is a £7 billion project.
- Chiltern Railways and the RMT union are disputing who should control train doors.
- The RMT union opposes the idea of driver-only operations (DOO) for door control.
- Passenger service was supposed to start between Oxford and Milton Keynes by the end of December.
- The first phase of East West Rail was completed in December 2024.
- The line is expected to extend to Cambridgeshire by the 2030s.
- Chiltern Railways plans to create nearly 100 new jobs with this project.
- A report from the National Audit Office in December 2023 valued the investment at £6-7 billion.
