A major road has closed as work continues on the East West Rail project.
Construction crews have started work on Marston Road in Lidlington, Bedfordshire, with the route closed until November 20 while utility diversions are carried out ahead of major railway upgrades.
The first week of activity appears to have focused on establishing two new construction compounds, with further work expected over the coming weeks.
The closure is one of several planned ahead of a much longer shutdown stretching from March 1, 2027, until October 27, 2028.
During that period, a new railway bridge will be built to replace the existing level crossing.
The project forms part of East West Rail’s Marston Vale acceleration programme, which aims to bring passenger services between Oxford and Stewartby into operation in the early 2030s.
East West Rail is designed to restore direct rail links between Oxford and communities across the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor, improving connections between major towns, employment centres, and universities.
The Marston Vale section is expected to play an important role in the wider scheme and will also support transport links to the proposed Universal United Kingdom Resort theme park in Bedfordshire when it opens.
Once complete, East West Rail will create new direct journeys from Oxford to destinations including Milton Keynes and Bedford, with future phases expected to extend services through to Cambridge.
The railway infrastructure between Oxford and Milton Keynes was rebuilt and handed over to Network Rail in December 2024, and a test train successfully ran the full route in October 2024. However, regular passenger services have not yet started.