Decision on future of East-West Rail for new PM, says DfT

The East-West Rail link is designed to link Oxford with Cambridge

A decision on the future of the £5bn East-West Rail link "will be for the next prime minister to make," the Department for Transport said.

Work began on the second phase of the Oxford to Cambridge project in 2020.

During his campaign to be the next prime minister, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he would axe latter stages of the project.

A Department for Transport spokesman said no major policy decisions would be made during the leadership contest.

A diagram of the proposed "Route E" between Bedford and Cambridge, chosen after an earlier consultation. The route continues west to Milton Keynes and Oxford

Earlier this week, Mr Shapps told radio station LBC he "would cut East-West Rail on what's called two and three, the second and third tranches of it".

The first section to upgrade the railway between Oxford and Bicester was completed in 2016.

The second 21-mile (33km) £760m Bicester to Bletchley stretch is on time and on budget, according to the East-West Rail Company Alliance.

The last two sections are from Bletchley to Bedford and from Bedford to Cambridge

A local campaign group has put signs across the area protesting against the plans, including in Harston near the existing Cambridge-Hitchin-London railway line

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "It will be for the next prime minister and government to make a decision on East-West Rail.

"Work is currently under way on having advice ready to provide to the government later this year."

Campaigner William Harrold said "there would be delight in south Cambridgeshire" if the project was brought to an early end.

Mr Harrold co-founded Cambridge Approaches after discovering East-West rail's preferred route to Cambridge was through south Cambridgeshire.

The group argues there is a stronger business case for the route to approach Cambridge from the north, connecting with the Ely line near Milton.

Mr Harrold said the East-West company had yet to publish a business case to justify the southern route, but also questioned the continuation of the entire scheme.

He said: "At this time with a lot of cost pressures on government spending, they should be asking, is this value for money?

"Without big cities between Oxford to Cambridge, you've got to question the amount of passenger traffic it will receive, plus the huge subsidy UK rail receives from the taxpayer.

"I don't think the government should be funding something that will be haemorrhaging money."