Delays to opening makes station a 'laughing stock'

Residents of Winslow are frustrated a new railway station completed over a year ago has still not opened.

A local councillor said it had been due to open in the Buckinghamshire town in December 2025 but there had been a "comedy of errors", including a row over who will control the opening and closing of carriage doors.

Diana Blamires, who sits on the town council, said the local community was "obviously furious" and "it makes Winslow station a laughing stock".

In a statement, Chiltern Railways - responsible for operating services between Oxford and Milton Keynes - said no date for the opening had yet been confirmed.

Blamires said: "Now we are told there are no trains and the rolling stock has gone elsewhere.

"And next the platforms are going to have to be rebuilt to make them longer because of Universal Studios coming to the area."

Winslow resident Andy Dyke said the station always came up in conversations between locals.

He said: "It is frustrating for the town."

Natalie Wheble, from the East West Rail project (EWR), told a transport meeting at Buckinghamshire Council longer trains were needed because of the expected increased demand generated by the Universal theme park, due to be built near Bedford.

She said EWR expected to run five-car trains rather than the previously planned four, which meant its plans had changed.

A spokesperson for EWR added: "This uplift in capacity has led to a review of all infrastructure requirements and in the case of Winslow station, a decision has been taken to extend the platforms, so it can accommodate the use of longer trains.

"Any work to extend platforms at Winslow would not affect the introduction of Chiltern's new services."

They said that in March last year, the government had announced that Chiltern Railways would be the operator of services connecting Oxford and Milton Keynes.

"Since then, Chiltern has been working closely with the Department of Transport and industry colleagues with the aim of introducing services on the new line as soon as possible."

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