South East: Oxford to Marylebone track now complete

Network Rail engineers have finished laying new sections of track to connect Oxford city centre with London Marylebone, ahead of Chiltern Railways running services on the new line from December.

The final track installations were completed around Peartree and Wolvercote in Oxford. Network Rail’s ‘orange army’ engineers have transformed the old 20-40mph branch line into a 100mph main line.

The £320 million project, including an investment of £130m from Chiltern Railways, was first conceived in 2002 and approved in 2013. The first section of the route opened from Oxford Parkway, a new station, in October 2015. 

Once open, two trains per hour will run throughout the day from Oxford city centre to London Marylebone with journey times from around an hour.  The new link introduces a useful alternative for people travelling between Oxford and London. Until now Paddington station has been their only London rail option.

Dave Penney, managing director at Chiltern Railways, said: “With the track now laid from our new station Oxford Parkway through to Oxford city centre, we can look forward to the first trains running on December 12. The new rail line will bring significant social, economic and environmental benefits to those living and working along the route and will be the completion of first new rail link between a major British city and London for over 100 years.”

Martin Frobisher, London North Western route managing director for Network Rail, said: "This important landmark in our nationwide Railway Upgrade Plan will offer a great new travel option not just for business and leisure passengers in Oxford going to London but also for those in London heading to Oxford. It will bring economic benefits to the Oxford region and with it new opportunities for people living there."