£161m upgrade work on Oxford rail station and railway underway

By Tom Kilkelly

13 April 2023

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Oxford station and railway is receiving upgrades worth over £161 million in a bid to expand the railway and offer more services for both passengers and freight operations.

The work for these upgrades, which is being carried out by Network Rail, began on April 11. Botley Road will be closed until October this year – the bridge on the road is being replaced as part of the upgrade. This closure has also been split between this year and next year to reduce the strain of diverting utilities whilst also reflecting feedback from the local community.

These upgrades, which are part of the Oxfordshire Connect programme, include the expansion of the station, more railways, and the improvement of the road network directly adjacent to the station. The work on the road network involves creating safer junctions with Botley Road, more space for cyclists and pedestrians, and the enhancement of bus travel. The railway station will be open as work goes on.

Network Rail Programme Director for Oxfordshire Connect Claire Mahoney said: “There was never going to be an easy way to do this work, it’s extremely complex and needs to be carefully coordinated with multiple utility companies as well as Thames Water and the Environment Agency who are undertaking other works close by. We’ve split the work into two parts this year and next year, so that we reduce the impact on the city’s residents.”

Network Rail aims to complete the upgrades by 2024. When finished the station will have a new entrance on the west side that will link to both new and pre-existing platforms via a subway. This new entrance improves accessibility for those situated on west side of the station and will also provide cycle parking.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management Andrew Gant said: “Improving Oxford Station will be incredibly important for the city and county’s future transport links. It will improve capacity for passengers and freight and is vital for the development of projects such as East West Rail and the Cowley Branch Line. However, we realise that a project of this scale will inevitably mean disruption – in this case the closure of Botley Road for two significant periods. While this cannot be avoided, we will do all we can to minimise the impact on the rest of the road network.”

By Tom Kilkelly

Tom Kilkelly started working as a freelance journalist for The Business Magazine following his graduation from UCL in 2022.

During his studies Tom became very interested in the works of Irish authors including Samuel Beckett and Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan).

His current role as a freelance business reporter is his first exposure to the world of business journalism. Working at TBM has given Tom the chance to really get to grips with the goings-on in the business hive that is the South East.