Cambridge to become better-connected thanks to £794m rail investment

Cambridge to become better-connected thanks to £794m rail investment

Cambridge to become better-connected thanks to £794m rail investment

Cambridge is set to become an even more sought after location to live in thanks to a huge financial boost. The sum, an enormous £794 million, will be given to East West and Northumberland rail lines.

@ewrconsortium tweeted, “Welcome announcement today from @transportgovuk @grantshapps confirming East West Rail funding. By 2025 we will see the first East West Rail services from Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes – a milestone worth celebrating.”

East West Rail is a, “major project to establish a strategic railway connecting East Anglia with Central, Southern and Western England.”The idea was first conceived back in the mid-1990s and as such it will have been three decades in the making when the work has been completed.

 

The daily commute

For inhabitants of Cambridge, the rail will radically alter the way that everyone goes about their daily lives and carries out their business. East West Rail, “will eventually connect Oxford and Cambridge,” which will see Cambridge locals massively benefit from easier and faster access into London. Read on to find out more about the railway line that will make Cambridge an even more fabulous place to live.

Snow in Cambridge
Train

A formidable pair

The plan to connect Oxford and Cambridge directly via rail might not come to fruition until 2030, however, that’s no reason not to start getting excited about the prospect. You might be surprised to find out that Oxford and Cambridge’s train stations are not already directly connected.

The two world-renowned and ancient universities were connected via a trainline from 1846 until 1968. The Varsity Line, as it was called at the time, “was the main railway route that once linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated by the London and North Western Railway.” It was closed in the ‘60s despite criticism of the decision.

Now more than fifty years later, the need to connect Oxford and Cambridge is widely recognised. With the £760 million being given to East West Rail, they will be opening, “New parts of the line. The Northumberland Line, which still carries freight, will get £34m for initial work aimed at reintroducing passenger services. Reopening closed lines like these would help connect “left-behind” communities, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said,”

 

Connected to the Capital

Whilst Cambridge is far from being a left-behind community, the advantage of being able to get into London faster will be extraordinary. Chiara Kunnie, a strategic partnerships and finance professional from Cambridge said she was: “Excited and surprised it took this long. I hope it increases collaboration and shared learning opportunities between the two universities and its students.”

 

Accommodation in Cambridge

Whether you’re moving to Cambridge for work or study, you’ll soon discover what a bustling, friendly, and stunning place it is. Whether your move is planned to take place in the months ahead, or in years to come when you might well directly benefit from the work on East West Rail, you will need accommodation.

CheckedInn are short and medium-term accommodation experts. We will find you your new dream home in Cambridge, that will soon become your home away from home. We can help you find pet-friendly accommodation or accommodation with parking, or even a garden. Whatever you are looking for in a property, we can help you find it. Call CheckedInn today on 01223 423334.