The first commercial freight train has travelled along the East West Rail line as part of its journey into a new strategic rail freight interchange in Northampton.

Shortly after 1pm on 16 June, the service from Didcot came onto the new infrastructure at Oxford, travelling the 35 miles to Milton Keynes to connect with the West Coast Main Line.

Operated by DB Cargo UK on behalf of Maritime Transport, the intermodal service departed Didcot and arrived at the Northampton Gateway terminal.

It marked the first time East West Rail infrastructure has been used for commercial freight, after many months of signaller training and train driver learning since the £1.2bn railway was completed in October 2024.

The inaugural journey was part of a dual first, as it also saw the entry into service of Maritime Transport’s Northampton Gateway terminal.

The Northampton Gateway terminal is part of a wider £200m infrastructure investment by SEGRO, with more than five million square feet of warehousing, and is expected to support up to 7,500 jobs once fully operational.

This Easter, Network Rail completed its work there to join the 35-acre freight facility directly to the West Coast Main Line via the Northampton Loop.

The junction design allows freight trains to enter and exit the site at speeds of up to 40mph, which is eight times faster than conventional freight connections.

Clearing the railway junction much faster will significantly improve both passenger and freight journeys – as it reduces the impact on other services running on the main line.

The West Coast Mainline is the busiest mixed used railway in Europe carrying 40% of all UK freight traffic. Every freight train takes 76 lorries off the road, helping to contribute to Net Zero 2050

Gary Walsh, director for Network Rail’s West Coast South route, said: “Running the first commercial freight train into Northampton Gateway using East West Rail infrastructure is a big step forward. The new rail link has been designed to let trains move in and out at speeds of up to 40mph, which is much faster than usual for freight terminals.

“This means less disruption to passenger services and a smoother, more efficient railway overall. It’s a great example of how smart infrastructure can support greener transport and decrease the number of heavy goods vehicles on our roads.”

The twin milestones are a significant moment for East West Rail, a programme designed to improve the connectivity between Oxford and Cambridge.

The first of three phases of East West Rail is a new £1.2bn section of railway which will restore train services between Oxford and Milton Keynes for passengers and goods – also known as Connection Stage One.

Earlier this year the Department for Transport named Chiltern Railways as the operator for passenger services which will run on the route in future.