Massive expansion on railways

A massive programme of railway upgrades has been announced in our region. The full £9.4bn programme of improvements to the rail network 'will meet the needs of intercity passengers, commuters and freight up to the end of this decade' while the Government continues to work on High Speed 2.

Schemes include electrification between Southampton and Reading; Paddington to Newbury, Banbury and Swindon; Reading to Basingstoke; Maidenhead to Marlow; Slough to Windsor. A major development at Waterloo will take longer trains from the South.

Oxford Station will have a substantial upgrade. The line from Oxford to Bletchley will be reopened.