Grand plans for rail station (From Witney Gazette)

Grand plans for rail station

6:00am Thursday 26th November 2009

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Plans to transform Oxford’s rail station that will see it expanding to the other side of Botley Road within the next two years are being unveiled today.

The £10m scheme will see the creation of a new platform in the long-stay car park in Becket Street, with a new pedestrian bridge to be built over Botley Road.

The long-awaited expansion of the station will allow it to cope with big increases in the number of rail passengers in the light of plans to run trains from Oxford to London Marylebone and to reopen the Oxford-Milton Keynes line.

Central to the improvements at Oxford is Network Rail’s aspiration to build a new bay platform to increase the station’s capacity and improve reliability. It would be used by trains terminating at Oxford from the south. The decision to locate the bay platform on part of the Becket Street car park will free up the existing through-platforms in the existing station for other services.

The plans, released by Network Rail and Oxfordshire County Council, show that the existing pedestrian and cycle bridge is to be replaced by a new structure across Botley Road, linking the new platform with the station.

It is hoped that both the platform and bridge will be operational in 2011. In addition there are plans to improve the existing station forecourt, particularly the areas for buses and taxis.

The new proposals are part of Network Rail’s Action Stations scheme, involving a national investment programme of £3.25bn. The county council is expected to contribute £5m, with the improvements viewed as key to its Access to Oxford transport strategy.

But the scheme is to be only the first phase of a masterplan for the city’s station that is being developed by County Hall. Ian Hudspeth, county council cabinet member for infrastructure, said: “The masterplan will ensure each of the proposals complement one another and contribute to an improved Oxford station that the city can be proud of, both in terms of capacity for trains and station buildings, which improve the experience for passengers.

“The masterplan also considers the wider role of the station as part of the regeneration of Oxford’s West End, particularly the redevelopment of Frideswide Square.”

The masterplan will also take into account major rail proposals such as the Evergreen 3 scheme to run trains to Marylebone, via Bicester and High Wycombe; Network Rail’s plans to electrify the railway between Oxford and London, and the start of the long-awaited east-west rail link, which could eventually go beyond Milton Keynes to Cambridge.

Chris Rayner, Network Rail route director, said: “Oxford station is a vital transport hub, handling almost five million passengers each year. If we’re to continue to provide the level of service that rail users expect and deserve, important changes need to be made.

“Our plans for a new platform and the accompanying new pedestrian link will make a lasting difference to passengers in Oxford and pave the way for further improvements to the station in the coming years.”

Dr Ian East, chairman of the Oxford-Bicester Rail Action Group, said: “It is a good thing that the station is to be expanded, although some people may be concerned about whether or not the car park is maintained at its current size. But clearly there was a lot of space on that side of the Botley Road that is simply not available to the north.

“I wonder, however, whether the opportunity is being lost to finally sort out the Botley Road railway bridge. Although you have to recognise that would be very expensive indeed.”

“A number of accidents involving cyclists have been blamed on the narrowness of the road and pavements under the bridge, where the dip in the road also results in regular flooding.”

The decision to create a platform across Botley Road comes after planners had considered other more costly options to deal with increased passenger numbers.

Ideas discarded included building a new station at nearby Oxpens and the creation of a new platform in the existing station.

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