'We'll be the centre of the rail universe'

WORK is now well under way on the rail link between Oxford and London Marylebone – the first new rail link between two major British cities for 100 years – and the first passengers are expected to be all aboard next year.

Plenty of other projects are on track, including electrification of the Great Western Main Line, the redevelopment of Oxford Station and the East-West rail link to Bedford.

And a new report has shown the benefits of extending that link beyond Bedford to Oxford’s historic rival Cambridge, opening the Varsity Line for the first time since it closed during the Beeching era nearly 50 years ago.

Rodney Rose

Rodney Rose, the deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said the level of investment in the county is part of a national push to meet growing demand.

He said: “If you look at the rail usage figures it is pretty obvious we need a lot more track and a lot more carriage and that’s why the Government is putting money into rail infrastructure.

“I think Oxford will almost become the centre of the rail universe because there will be connectivity from Southampton to Manchester and from Leeds to Heathrow. The benefits to Oxford will be fantastic.

“I was very gratified to hear that the business case for the East-West rail link going beyond Bedford was so positive. It is just a matter of working out where the route will go.”

A report by Atkins into the business case for re-establishing the Oxford to Cambridge link found that there is expected to be a significant population and employment growth in the London-Oxford-Cambridge “golden triangle” between now and 2031.

It found that the lack of connections along this arc meant people have to travel into London rather than go directly.

The Varsity Line – or “Brain Line” – perished during the Beeching era like many lines and stations in Oxfordshire such as the Witney to Oxford line which went all the way to Carterton and was closed to passengers in 1962.

Cambridge’s guided bus route, above, is set to be copied alongside the A40 between Oxford and Witney after the Government put up £35m of the likely £40m cost  of the project

Campaigners, including the Thames Valley branch of RailFuture, are now hoping to see the line reopened.

Graham Cross, business development director at Chiltern Railways said: “Our Oxford to London rail project is the latest in a long line of innovative Chiltern-led projects to upgrade the rail infrastructure, fuelled by our understanding of rail’s potential to make a significant contribution to economic growth and prosperity.

“Direct services from Oxford to London Marylebone and the creation of a new station, Oxford Parkway (at Water Eaton), will benefit thousands of commuters and businesses in Oxfordshire.”

Commenting on future rail projects through Oxfordshire, Network Rail spokesman Victoria Bradley said its funding for 2014-2019 was confirmed earlier this year. She said: “A business case could be developed by a third party, such as the county council, who could work with Network Rail and the train operator.

“Any scheme would need to demonstrate a solid business case and represent good value for money.”

LONG-AWAITED EAST-WEST LINK BECOMES REALITY AT LAST

THE East West Rail will link Oxford’s rail network to Milton Keynes and Bedford as well as Reading.
The link, which had been talked about for years but seemed unlikely ever to come to fruition, is expected to open by March 2019.
The western section  involves upgrading and reconstructing underused and disused sections of the former railway between Bedford and Oxford, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury.
This is a scheme that is being funded by the Department for Transport and the East West Rail Consortium which is made up of councils in the area where the link would run.
Work is currently under way to extend the link onwards to Cambridge, meaning the reopening of the Varsity line to Oxford for the first time since it closed in 1967.
The East West Rail Consortium was set up in 1995.
Linked closely with the East West Rail link, Evergreen Three is a £130m project which will see Chiltern Railways build a new line between Oxford and London Marylebone via Kidlington, Bicester and High Wycombe.
It includes the construction of a new station at Water Eaton called Oxford Parkway — the first new station to be built in the county since 1935.
Construction is currently under way and the rail line from Bicester to Oxford Parkway is due to open next summer, with the section between Oxford Parkway and Oxford Station opening in spring 2016.
Evergreen One was the redoubling of the line between Princes Risborough and Bicester North while Evergreen Two was the realignment of the route through Beaconsfield and the construction of new sidings at London Marylebone.

THE FUTURE

IAN Hudspeth, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, has said he would be keen on reopening the Cowley branch which leads towards the BMW plant.
This could be accompanied by a monorail which completes the circle around Oxford.

How a new station using the branch line to Cowley could look

Meanwhile campaign group Witney Oxford Transport is calling for the Witney to Oxford line to be reopened to allieviate pressure on the congested A40.
The line closed to passenger trains in 1962 and continued as a freight-only line until 1970 when that too ended and the track was ripped up.
A section of the line at Eynsham was subsequently built on, making restoring the line a much more difficult and expensive operation.
As reported in yesterday’s Oxford Mail, a likely solution to the A40 problems is a guided bus system, similar to one already in operation in Cambridge, which will enable bus services to speed past traffic queues on a dedicated route. 
Oxfordshire has been given a £35m Government grant which would cover the lion’s share of the £40m the scheme is expected to cost.

CITY'S STATION SET FOR MAJOR CHANGES

PLANS for a £75m redevelopment of Oxford Station were unveiled last month.

Rebuilding Oxford Railway Station in 1970. The station buildings were replaced with temporary structures before the existing station was built

Network Rail wants to add a third platform to the west of the station and replace the Botley Road bridge to cater for the extra track.
It will be working with Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council and First Great Western to replace the existing station building and create a bus station.

The exisiting station

The number of passengers using the station has increased from 4.7m in 2007/08 to 6.3m in 2012/13.
Shops and a hotel could also be included in the redevelopment.

An artist's impression of the Oxford Parkway station to be built at  Water Eaton, near Kidlington

ELECTRIFICATION TIMETABLE

Network Rail is spending £1bn on electrifying the Great Western Main Line between London and South Wales.
This will include the line to Oxford, with work on the line between the city and Didcot Parkway expected to start in November.
Work is expected to be completed by 2016 and Network Rail has said it will mean quieter and more eco-friendly trains.
Overhead masts are already being erected above the line between Didcot and Baulking, with work taking place during the night.

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