Dream of ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’ at risk as ministers urged to move fast on OxCam rail link
A bid to turn the Oxford-Cambridge corridor into the “Silicon Valley of Europe” is at risk of stalling unless the government speeds up the delivery of long-promised infrastructure, business leaders have warned.
A coalition of major companies, universities and investors have written to Rachel Reeves urging swift progress on transport commitments and planning for the so-called OxCam supercluster, amid growing concerns that delays to the East West Rail project are undermining investor confidence.
This warning comes from a report from the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster, supported by 46 organizations including AstraZeneca, GSK, Airbus and the Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford, founded by US tech billionaire Larry Ellison.
The corridor was promoted by the chancellor as the cornerstone of a workforce growth strategy, with ministers pledging to unlock the UK’s £78bn economy by 2035 by expanding science, technology and life sciences.
However, the report warns that uncertainty about infrastructure delivery – particularly the East West Rail (EWR) line – risks making that impossible.
The East West Rail scheme, designed to connect Oxford and Cambridge via Milton Keynes and Bedford, is widely seen as key to transforming the region into a single integrated labor and innovation market.
But there are growing concerns that the project is moving backwards. Industry leaders fear that the necessary development approval may not be delivered until 2027, meaning the final approval could extend beyond the current parliament – jeopardizing the government’s 2035 operational target.
Andy Williams, chairman of the board of the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster and former chief executive of AstraZeneca, said the lack of certainty was already damaging confidence.
“Without clarity and speed, we risk killing investor confidence,” he said, warning that trains may not run the full route by 2035 unless steps are taken quickly.
The corridor has regained political momentum after the downsizing of Boris Johnson’s government, where the region’s “elevation” became a focus. Business leaders have welcomed Labour’s renewed focus, but say ambition must now be matched by execution.
Although the government committed £2.5bn in the June spending review to upgrade East West Rail, the report says funding alone is not enough without a clear, region-wide delivery plan.
The Government took some steps, including approving the re-opening of the Cowley branch line to Oxford and appointing Lord Vallance as corridor growth champion. Ministers also promised a more detailed plan this year.
But the report calls for strong governance across the region, alongside a comprehensive local strategy that sets out where housing, laboratories and commercial space will be prioritized – and how the supporting infrastructure will be delivered.
The report, produced with the Center for Business Research at the University of Cambridge, shows that economic growth is already spreading beyond Oxford and Cambridge to areas such as Milton Keynes and Stevenage, home to GSK’s main research base.
The corridor now hosts almost 3,000 high-tech firms, employing 152,000 people and generating £45bn in annual revenue. Job growth has outpaced the UK average for the past decade.
Shaun Grady, chairman of AstraZeneca UK, said the East West Rail is “vital infrastructure” needed to connect campuses, labs and cities to a single talent market and ensure scientific progress translates into economic growth as quickly as possible.
Nick Pettit, senior partner at property consultancy Bidwells, added that the train was the “missing piece” and said the government must provide planning assurance and accelerate the delivery of housing and workplaces along the line.
A spokesman for the Department of Transport said East West Rail remained a “growth driver”, adding that officials were exploring how recent planning changes could be used to deliver immediate benefits.
Once complete, the line is expected to cut journey times between Oxford and Cambridge from around three hours to just over 90 minutes – a change businesses say is essential if the UK is to build a world-competitive innovation corridor.
