£5m Station Still Closed as Door Control Dispute Delays UK Rail Opening

A newly built railway station in Winslow remains closed despite completion in 2024, leaving passenger trains running without travellers on board. The station forms part of the East-West Rail project designed to strengthen connections between Oxford and Cambridge. The wider scheme aims to improve transport links across the region, yet disagreements between unions and the train operator have delayed the start of passenger services.

The section between Bicester Village and Bletchley, covering around 36 miles, was expected to open last year. Instead, trains currently travel along the tracks mainly for freight use and driver training. Winslow station, built at a cost of £5 million, has yet to welcome passengers due to an ongoing disagreement about how services should operate once regular journeys begin.

The main dispute concerns whether trains should operate as driver-only services or include onboard staff responsible for opening and closing doors. Chiltern Railways supports driver-controlled operation, while the Rail, Maritime and Transport union argues that guards should remain part of the service. The disagreement has delayed progress on opening stations along the route and has frustrated residents waiting for improved rail access.

When operational, the East-West Rail link is expected to improve access to destinations such as Oxford’s universities, research centres and historic streets, as well as connections through Bletchley towards Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. The project is intended to make regional journeys easier without travelling through London, offering more direct options for work, study and leisure across central England.

Even though the station has already been built, trains are still not open to passengers because the operating details have not been agreed. The case shows that new rail infrastructure does not always lead to immediate service if practical questions remain unresolved. When trains eventually begin carrying passengers, the route is expected to offer a more direct way to travel between Oxford, Bletchley and nearby towns.