£161 million upgrades scheduled for the Oxford railway station

The new project will enhance passenger and train capacity, upgrade the Botley Road bridge and refurbish the station’s entrance.

As Oxford is one of the popular railway stations across England, transited by about 8.7 million passengers each year, the new project is set to upgrade several facilities in order to boost train journeys comfort and demand. The £161 million funding will be offered by the Department for Transport.

Rail Minister Wendy Morton declared with the occasion:

“While union bosses continue on their campaign to inflict maximum disruption to the lives of everyday people with strikes, I am busy getting on with the job at the hand, modernising our railways to create one which is fit for the 21st Century and meets the needs of the modern-day passenger.

“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, added:

“We are delighted to have been awarded this significant amount of funding from the Department for Transport, which will enable us make positive substantial improvements to Oxford station and railway for the benefit of our passengers and freight customers.

“A new entrance, new additional track, and platform, and improved accessibility will transform this station so that is fit for the 21st century and significantly enhance its capacity for increases in passenger numbers and future services such as East West Rail.”

In addition, the upgrades will also feature three new high-speed crossovers, enhanced capacity boosting connections, an elevated bridge on Botley Road and a four-metre-wide cycle and walking path.

The works for the project are set to start later this year, as Botley Road bridge upgrades are expected to be delivered by the end of 2023, while the platform and station entrance are scheduled for completion and inauguration in 2024.

The new upgraded track will improve connectivity between Southampton Ports, the Midlands and North West, while increasing the flow of supply chain services and helping the environment at the same time.

The Oxford Station is a part of the Government’s new SPEED (Swift, Pragmatic and Efficient Enhancement Delivery) scheme encouraging significantly cheaper rail infrastructure build in half the usual time.

Source: railadvent.co.uk
Picture: Oxford City Council/ Atkins