Platform construction is now underway for a new railway station in Winslow in Buckinghamshire as part of the East West Rail project. Winslow will be at the heart of the new railway which when fully built will transform travel between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge.

More than 500 pre-cast concrete platform units are being lifted into position within the new railway cutting using a massive crane before work starts on the station building itself next spring. This involves using a 250 tonne crawler crane, with a 62-metre arm, which is taller than Nelson’s Column.

A smart phone app has been developed to allow the platform units to be called for delivery in the exact construction sequence which is essential to manage the limited space available on site.

Serving communities across the heart of the country, East West Rail aims to provides better, cheaper, quicker and greener transport.

Mark Cuzner, East West Rail Alliance project director, said: “This is a huge step for people in Winslow who haven’t been connected to the railway network for decades. With the platform units now being installed you get a real sense of what the station will look like when finished. East West Rail will bring people significant benefits and better access to housing and jobs, while providing reliable, quick, environmentally sustainable journeys and more affordable travel.”

Simon Blanchflower CBE, chief executive at East West Railway Company, said: “This is a major milestone for the project, with a new station at Winslow set to benefit communities and businesses in and around the town with an alternative, sustainable way to travel across the region.

"Whether it’s linking Winslow businesses with the best talent from along the route or providing families and friends with a way to connect without driving on the region’s busy roads, East West Rail will help local communities meet the challenges and changes in modern life and leave a lasting legacy for the region.”

The first phase of the new railway, known as Connection Stage One between Oxford and Milton Keynes, is bringing 1,000 direct employment opportunities and a further 500 through the supply chain in addition to injecting £1.1bn into the local economy.

After the platform has been installed work will begin on the new station building in the spring of 2022 with the new track to be laid in early 2023.