Oxford to Bicester
A major upgrade of the existing railway line from Oxford to Bicester was completed in December 2016. The work was delivered by Network Rail, Chiltern Railways, and a joint venture led by local companies Carillion and Buckingham Group.
Oxford to Bicester trains are already running on this section of line. Further work is however required to run the four trains per hour service that is planned for the full East West Rail service.
Developing plans for this section
Station improvements
Improvements at Oxford, Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village stations to accommodate more trains and more customers
New platforms
Proposals for one or more additional platforms at Oxford station
Increased capacity
Improvements to the track in the Oxford area to increase capacity for EWR trains to approach Oxford
Alternative crossings
Alternative ways for vehicles and pedestrians to cross the railway at London Road in Bicester to improve safety, to enable a faster, more reliable train service, and to reduce traffic disruption.
What's next for this section of East West Rail?
During 2021 we held a consultation which covered the proposals described on this page, amongst other proposals across the East West Rail route. We are now analysing the feedback we received alongside other feedback from our engagement programme and our own technical research and design work to refine our proposals. These refined proposals will then be presented to the public through a 'statutory consultation', which is expected to take place in the coming year.
After this statutory stage of consultation we will carry out further work before submitting detailed plans to the Government in an application for a development consent order, which is needed to construct the proposals outlined on this page.
Our aim is to have trains running between Oxford and Milton Keynes by 2025. But we are very clear – we will not introduce a service that would be unreliable for our passengers, or cause delays elsewhere on the railway. For that reason, we are working with Network Rail and DfT to demonstrate that this service will be reliable from day one.
Key Documents & Assets
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2021 Consultation Document: Oxford to Bicester
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2021 Consultation Maps: Oxford to Bicester
How will services be delivered?
We’ve designed the delivery of the East West Rail project with the community in mind. Ensuring minimal disruption, while making sure the services are reliable from the start. All to provide the best value for the taxpayer.
To achieve this, we will be introducing services in three "connection stages", with the first services between Oxford and Bletchley/Milton Keynes expected to start running around 2025. To learn more, watch our helpful video below.
Watch
Project delivery
Our role is to oversee delivery of the project between Oxford and Bletchley. We're also designing the section of railway between Bletchley and Cambridge.
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Community Hub
Whether you’d like to share your ideas about East West Rail, ask a question, or just find out more information, we’d love to hear from you.
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