Re-opening the Cowley branch to passenger traffic

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

Great news.  A special train is just about to go onto the branch now. I remember another special ran 11 years ago to demonstrate the potential of the line, and that potential looks like it might be close to being realised.

Oxford Clarion is an excellent site.

[ray951]

Great news.  A special train is just about to go onto the branch now. I remember another special ran 11 years ago to demonstrate the potential of the line, and that potential looks like it might be close to being realised.

Oxford Clarion is an excellent site.

I assume this one https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U68415/2025-10-23/detailed and https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U68420/2025-10-23/detailed doesn't seem to be stopping at Oxford and I assume is using a Chiltern Trains unit.

[CyclingSid]

But will they have finished the work at Oxford station in time?

[ChrisB]

One is reliant on the other, so yes.

[ray951]

Lets hope that's the line is opened quicker than EWR^▸ (East West Railway (Oxford to Bedford), or possibly East Worthing station, depending on context), first announced in 2011 still not open to passengers in 2025.

On the whole I think this is good news but they would struggle to run this service without completing Oxford Station. So I assume that means they are still planning to finish the station even though it has gone over budget.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Cowley Branch line to reopen after 60 years in £120m project

[Image from here is not available to guests]
The rail line, which has been closed to the public for 60 years, will include a new station in Littlemore

An Oxford railway line closed to passengers since 1963 is being reopened.

The Cowley Branch Line is currently only used by freight going to and from the BMW Mini Plant, but new stations will be opened in Cowley and Littlemore in south-east Oxford.

The government has pledged £120m in funding, part of a £500m investment in infrastructure to link up Oxford and Cambridge and turn the region into the "European Silicon Valley".

Anneliese Dodds, MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) for East Oxford, said the Cowley Branch Line was "finally going to become a reality". She said it would make a "massive difference to local residents, slashing travel times and reducing congestion".

The county's five Liberal Democrat MPs Freddie van Mierlo, Layla Moran, Charlie Maynard, Olly Glover, and Calum Miller said the "major" announcement reflected "years of campaigning, local partnership and rigorous business-case work".

The government said reopening the line would help create up to 10,000 new jobs. It will connect Littlemore, Cowley, Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys to central Oxford in under 10 minutes in a twice-hourly passenger service.

Prof Irene Tracey, vice-chancellor of Oxford University, said it would "stitch together" science parks, hospitals and new cultural spaces "so that ideas, researchers and local residents" could move more easily around Oxford and out to London Marylebone.

Oxford City Council leader Susan Brown said: "The Cowley Branch Line is the single most important piece of infrastructure for connecting local communities and businesses in south and east Oxford. It will give access to more amenities and jobs, help to cut congestion, meet our climate targets, and unlock new homes and jobs."

Liz Leffman, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, added: "We're delighted that the government has seen the obvious benefits that this project will deliver and the value for money it represents."

Rob Brighouse, chair of Oxford Strategic Rail Promoters' Group, called it a "once-in-a-generation opportunity and represents great news for those who do, and will, live and work on the route, as well as helping to ease rail capacity constraints through Oxford".

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the government had "massive ambitions for the Oxford-Cambridge corridor".

The government said the investments would also build on its commitment to deliver East West Rail, "which will strengthen links between Oxford and Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Bedford and beyond".

The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), which conducts research into biology, agriculture, climate change, AI and robotics in Oxford, said it could eventually employ up to 7,000 staff, and that the Cowley Branch Line would be "crucial". EIT said it would "participate with other local stakeholders to provide supplementary funding" of £35m, and design and construct the station at Littlemore.

Sarah Haywood, managing director of Advanced Oxford, which represents science and tech businesses in the region, said it was an "exciting and important boost to the Oxford region". She said it would help to realise the "full potential" of East-West Rail "cementing the region as a world-class science super-cluster".

Yong Shen, director of the Oxford Science Park, called it a "significant, tangible step towards more sustainable transport options" to the city.

Oxford City Council said work would be carried out to identify the additional infrastructure needed to connect the stations to their local communities. This could include new bridges, pedestrian and cycle routes, and better links to the bus network, it said.

[ChrisB]

News today that the go-ahead has been given for reopening the Oxford -  Cowley line by 2030.
Funding of £120m has been made available to reopen the line to passengers with new stations at Littlemore and Cowley.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgql954g07do

Posted back on October 23rd?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Fair point, ChrisB: I hadn't noticed that.

[eightonedee]

Re-reading this again-

The government has pledged £120m in funding, part of a £500m investment in infrastructure to link up Oxford and Cambridge and turn the region into the "European Silicon Valley".

..two questions occur to me-

1 - That's a huge proportion of the East-West fund for a short stretch of line that does not even connect directly to the actual Oxford to Cambridge line, and

2 - What would it cost to complete the OHL^▸ (Over-Head Line) from Didcot to Oxford?

[ellendune]

Regarding your first question.

I read somewhere that reopening the branch and allowing the Marylebone trains to terminate there allows the current bay platform at Oxford to be used for EWR^▸ (East West Railway (Oxford to Bedford), or possibly East Worthing station, depending on context). 

I am guessing that to provide further platform capacity at Oxford for terminating EWR trains might involve rebuilding the east side of the station and that would cost much more than £120m and take a lot longer to complete. 

[John D]

Re-reading this again-

The government has pledged £120m in funding, part of a £500m investment in infrastructure to link up Oxford and Cambridge and turn the region into the "European Silicon Valley".

..two questions occur to me-

1 - That's a huge proportion of the East-West fund for a short stretch of line that does not even connect directly to the actual Oxford to Cambridge line, and

2 - What would it cost to complete the OHL^▸ (Over-Head Line) from Didcot to Oxford?

The second one is lot less than average because about third of the mast bases are already installed, and some masts already up.

Also there are closures planned (and budgeted for) in Oxford area where gantries spanning all the tracks could be installed (even if the detail of what needs to be bolted to them is not yet finalised).  Much cheaper to come along overnight with a road railer attaching brackets and wires than do extra full closure/blockade

[Electric train]

Re-reading this again-

The government has pledged £120m in funding, part of a £500m investment in infrastructure to link up Oxford and Cambridge and turn the region into the "European Silicon Valley".

..two questions occur to me-

1 - That's a huge proportion of the East-West fund for a short stretch of line that does not even connect directly to the actual Oxford to Cambridge line, and

2 - What would it cost to complete the OHL^▸ (Over-Head Line) from Didcot to Oxford?

The second one is lot less than average because about third of the mast bases are already installed, and some masts already up.

Also there are closures planned (and budgeted for) in Oxford area where gantries spanning all the tracks could be installed (even if the detail of what needs to be bolted to them is not yet finalised).  Much cheaper to come along overnight with a road railer attaching brackets and wires than do extra full closure/blockade

£120m I suspect is less than the funding for road schemes to achieve the same capacity, also funding a rail project meets the Governments carbon zero ambition.

The completion of the Didcot - Oxford electrification I believe is on the Western and Wales Region business plan, it would not be in the funding plan until CP8 / 9, NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are in the process of putting the CP8 funding plan together but the Didcot - Oxford electrification will be dependent on the future GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) (GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)) rolling stock, the other factor to aid the case will the be decarbonising fright 

[ChrisB]

....the other factor to aid the case will the be decarbonising fright 

Had to record this typo before it got edited 

[Richard Fairhurst]

I haven't seen this posted elsewhere, but apparently this is the infra work planned as part of the Cowley reopening:

[Electric train]

....the other factor to aid the case will the be decarbonising fright 

Had to record this typo before it got edited 

If you stand at track level freight is frightening