Oxford station's £161m revamp will 'bring faster journeys' say rail bosses today (Wednesday)

An artist's impression of how Oxford Station might look after the revamp

They say the transformation of the station will bring faster journeys to thousands, boosting economic growth and opportunities in the area. A statement by the Department for Transport (DTI) said it would mean faster journeys, increased capacity and new platform, cycling paths and a new fully accessible entrance.

This is one of the inaugural projects under the Rail SPEED (Swift, Pragmatic and Efficient Enhancement Delivery) scheme which aims to deliver rail projects quicker at lower costs.

Announced today (August 17), by Rail Minister Wendy Morton, the upgrades will be completed by 2024 and have been specifically designed to improve passenger experience, integrate the station more efficiently into the local road networks. She also claimed it would boost economic growth by supporting the creation of almost 10,000 jobs in the area.

Oxford Station as it is now. Picture by Google Streetview

Among the upgrades will be the creation of a new track, platform and accessible entrance on the west side of the station.

The Government says as one of the busiest stations in the South of England, managing 8.7 million passenger journeys a year pre-pandemic, the new track and platform will significantly improve capacity at Oxford.

The DTI statement said: “This will boost connections, the economy and job opportunities in the area with almost 10,000 new roles being supported as a result of the project, drawing talent and investment to both the City of Oxford and the numerous sciences, innovation, technology and business parks across the county.”

Funding will also be used to renovate the existing road bridge on Botley Road to create a four metre wide cycling and walking path and allowing standard height double-decker buses to pass underneath for the first time ever. It will also fund three new high-speed crossovers to be created, which will enable trains to turn around in the station, increasing services and reducing journey times.

Ms 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.”

Freight services will be enabled to increase to the equivalent of about 500 lorries per day between Southampton Ports container hub, the Midlands and North West - increasing supply-chain resilience.

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 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."

Work at the station will begin later this year, with the Botley Road improvements expected to be completed by the end of 2023 followed by the new platform and entrance which is set to open in 2024.