The Department for Transport confirmed it has awarded £78.6m to Network Rail to support the redevelopment of Oxford station and railway, helping provide a bigger and better station, more services for passengers and freight, and improved journey times for passengers in the future.
The funding follows the granting of a Transport Works Act Order (TWAO) and will enable Network Rail to significantly transform Oxford station, the railway in Oxfordshire and nearby road network, boosting the number of passengers the station can serve, accommodating new services including freight and improving the accessibility of the station.
The key changes include:
- The introduction of a new track and platform to be added alongside the existing platform 4, creating an island platform on the west side of the station
- A new western station entrance that will be built next to Botley Road and will link up to the new platform via a subway, stairs and lift. The new entrance will make the station more accessible to people living to the west of the station, reducing walking time.
- Improvements to the nearby road network and replacement of Botley Road bridge including the lowering of the road to enable standard double-decker buses to pass underneath for the first time. The new bridge design will also include a four-metre-wide cycle/footpath on each side to encourage sustainable transport and improve safety
- Reduced journey times thanks to three new crossovers, which allow trains to switch tracks at Oxford North Junction
The track work to create three high-speed crossovers at Oxford North Junction will take place over four weekends in September and October. This will mean that there will be no services in or out of Oxford on 10 and 11, 17 and 18, and 24 and 25 September, as well as 1 and 2 October.
Significant preparation work, including the diversion of utilities, needs to be done by the contractor Kier, who were appointed earlier this year, on Botley Road over the coming months, ahead of the bridge being replaced next year. The work to replace the bridge is scheduled to take place between 29 July and 6 August 2023. During this time Botley Road will be closed to through traffic and there will be no train services in or out of the station. Discussions about the requirement for road closures during the upcoming preparation work are ongoing with Oxfordshire County Council and further information will be announced in the coming weeks.
Outside of London, Oxford is one of the busiest stations in the south, managing more than 8.5 million passengers a year before the pandemic, which has been recovering strongly. The new track and platform on the west side of the station will significantly improve station capacity from 2024 and accommodate new services.
The closure of two level crossings, together with the work to improve the way trains flow into the station, will also increase capacity along the Oxford corridor to accommodate an additional 12 freight trains per day along this key part of the country’s strategic freight network, which will help ensure fuel reaches the petrol pumps, food makes it onto supermarket shelves and household waste is taken to recycling depots.
This latest funding announcement follows £69m of investment from the government last May to support the development of the design and enabling work. The Oxford Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) are also contributing an additional £10.5m towards the project.
Rail Minister, Wendy Morton, said: “This £161 million will truly transform the region, increasing the number of services for passengers, boosting economic growth by connecting people to new opportunities and increasing freight services between the South and Midlands.”
Mike Gallop, Network Rail’s Western route and strategic operations director, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this significant amount of funding from the Department for Transport, which will enable us to make positive, substantial improvements to Oxford station and the railway for the benefit of our passengers and freight customers.
“Oxford station has been near capacity and in need of a transformation for some time, which this funding will now make a reality. A new entrance, new additional track and platform, and improved accessibility will start to transform this station so that is fit for the 21st Century and significantly enhance capacity for increases in passenger numbers and future services such as East West Rail.
“We recognise there may be some disruption to both passengers and nearby residents while we make these upgrades who we’d like to thank in advance for their patience and understanding. We will ensure we continue to communicate any changes to services and notify residents of any forthcoming work that may impact them.”
