Oxford station - facilities, improvements, parking, incidents and events - merged posts

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

It needs to  - Hendy promised that it would be, without fail, open by the end of this month....

I went and had a look at the work on the new walkway this week and I will be really surprised if it is ready by the end of the month.

Hopefully I will be proved wrong but they still haven't put in place all the pre-cast concrete sections that make up the walkway and then they would need to clear up the site and move all the barriers, signs etc. before it could be used.

You are apparently welcome to contact The Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE with your concerns: see https://members.parliament.uk/member/4972/contact

CfN. 

[IndustryInsider]

It needs to  - Hendy promised that it would be, without fail, open by the end of this month....

I went and had a look at the work on the new walkway this week and I will be really surprised if it is ready by the end of the month.

Hopefully I will be proved wrong but they still haven't put in place all the pre-cast concrete sections that make up the walkway and then they would need to clear up the site and move all the barriers, signs etc. before it could be used.

It’s been a bit of an undignified scramble, but from a good nose around this afternoon, it looks as if final preparations are underway for it to just meet the deadline.

[ray951]

It needs to  - Hendy promised that it would be, without fail, open by the end of this month....

I went and had a look at the work on the new walkway this week and I will be really surprised if it is ready by the end of the month.

Hopefully I will be proved wrong but they still haven't put in place all the pre-cast concrete sections that make up the walkway and then they would need to clear up the site and move all the barriers, signs etc. before it could be used.

It’s been a bit of an undignified scramble, but from a good nose around this afternoon, it looks as if final preparations are underway for it to just meet the deadline.

That will be good news and happy to be proved wrong. 


Edit note: quote marks fixed. CfN.

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

New walkway 'key milestone' for Botley Road timeline



A new walkway has opened in Oxford as part of a £231m project to upgrade the city station.

Network Rail said the four-metre wide walkway, which links Botley Road to Frideswide Square, would offer improvements with existing access and more space for pedestrians and cyclists.

The operator said it was "another key milestone" in reopening the road by the end of August 2026, after it was closed at the railway bridge since April 2023.

The scheme has been through several delays, leaving communities frustrated and leading to long-standing businesses experiencing a drop in sales. Some, such as Courtney Pianos, closed down.

Network Rail said cyclists would be asked to dismount while using the shared surface until next year for safety reasons.



The work at Botley Road was "vital to creating a bigger, better station" and "an improved and safer road layout", Network Rail said.

Western route managing director Marcus Jones said "we're on track to the new timeline we committed to earlier this year".  Mr Jones said they were "pleased to have achieved this milestone" and thanked the local community and residents for their patience.

Anna Railton, deputy leader of Oxford City Council and cabinet member for a Zero Carbon Oxford, said the new path would "help to ease the flow of people in and around the area".

In June, rail minister Lord Hendy said some of the small businesses affected by the works would be eligible to receive one-off payments from an £850,000 government fund to "recognise the trouble the delays have caused".

Residents also said they were negatively affected by roads resurfacing works to transform Abbey Road, Cripley Road and Cripley Place into bus turning circles.

The next update session in Oxford will take place on 24 September at The King's Centre on Osney Mead.

[stuving]

What with all the epic difficulties Network Rail have encountered in growing their bridge, the rest of the station development has been "paused". (I think that's even more serious than "float erosion", which the walkway work was suffering from.)

At NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s presentation to councillors in July, there was just a short section at the end about the rest of the program "after the bridge is done".

Indicative Rail Scope

Future works to enable East West Rail. These are expected to include the provision
of new Platform 4/5 and a Western Entrance required to support increased train
services and passenger numbers.

Construction of remaining rail scope paused to allow full focus on re-opening
Botley Road as early as possible.

Works progressing well to re-phase future rail works. Key areas of focus:
• Validation of value for money following historic cost increase (associated
with Botley Road), whilst maintaining core functionality.
• Validation of programme and price ahead of securing funding.
• Increasing delivery certainty – undertaking additional surveys and
progressing key areas of design.

Indicative Schedule - Subject to funding release (originally a graphic)
2025   • Increase delivery confidence.
           • Validate scope, price and programme.
           • Secure funding.
 2026   • Construct Platform 4/5, Western Entrance and associated highways works.
 2027   • Complete Western Entrance design.
           • Onboard contractor.

And last Friday, NR posted a tender for "Oxford - Architect Services". This is looking for:

Scope
Reference
project_43822

Description

Network Rail is seeking to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced architectural practice to lead the design and planning application for the redevelopment of Oxford Station and its surrounding area. This commission forms a critical part of the Oxford Station Masterplan, which aims to deliver a new vision for the station environment, supporting Oxford's growth as a national rail hub and global innovation centre.

Scope of Services:

• Masterplanning: Develop and evolve previous scheme proposals to create a new, mixed-use masterplan that maximises value, integrates operational railway requirements, and aligns with Oxford City's development and regeneration aspirations.

• Design Leadership: Act as lead architect for the masterplan, coordinating with specialist consultants and stakeholders to deliver a comprehensive design solution, including station entrances, public realm, multi-storey car park, cycle hub, offices, life sciences, hotel, and residential elements.

• Planning Application: Prepare and submit a detailed planning application for Phase 1, including all necessary supporting documents, reports, and stakeholder engagement as required by the local planning authority.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Network Rail, train operating companies, and other key stakeholders throughout the design and planning process.

• Sustainability: Embed best practice in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives, targeting high levels of certification (e.g., BREEAM, WELL, NABERS, BNG, embodied carbon).

Key Deliverables:

• A new illustrative masterplan for the Oxford Station area, including phasing and delivery strategy.

• RIBA^» (Royal Institute of British Architects - about) Stage 2+ design report for the first phase of development.

• Full planning application for Phase 1, including all required technical and supporting documentation.

• Coordination and integration of specialist inputs (e.g., transport, sustainability, heritage, engineering).

• Ongoing design and technical support through the planning determination period.

The contract will be let under the NR26 NEC4 Professional Service Short Contract (PSSC).

The scope of this procurement covers the development of the Oxford Station Masterplan and the delivery of a detailed planning application for Phase 1. Phase 2 services are entirely optional and may not be instructed. Any extension to include Phase 2 will be subject to separate approval and explicit instruction by Network Rail. The estimated total value stated in this notice is inclusive of both Phase 1 and the optional Phase 2. The initial contract will be awarded for Phase 1 only, with any extension to include Phase 2 subject to formal instruction by Network Rail.

Full details of the scope, deliverables, and requirements are provided in the procurement documents within the tender Pack.

So, as that tender pack is only for registered bidders, we don't know what and how much station is still part of the programme.

[ChrisB]

So, other than Botley Road, everything else planned is now under a further cost review process & redesign to fit costs

[ray951]

if the 5th platform/ western station entrance isn't delivered then hasn't replacing the Botley Road bridge been a complete waste of money, certainly for rail and , given all the disruption, for Oxford itself?

Is there any point putting any more money into the railway industry, certainly in Oxfordshire, given the following:

A service pattern at Oxford that is worse than before Covid (XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) , GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and Chiltern) despite an increase in population.
Delays to running passenger trains on EWR^▸ (East West Railway (Oxford to Bedford), or possibly East Worthing station, depending on context) despite the railway being open for nearly a year (alleged Union issues).
An incomplete extension to Oxford station.
An electrification scheme that is half complete.

How can the industry be stopped from continually over promising and under delivering?
As an outsider seems like the industry needs a complete shakeup.

[ChrisB]

The earliest that EWR^▸ (East West Railway (Oxford to Bedford), or possibly East Worthing station, depending on context) was going to be ready was late this month - and its still slated for the December timetable, allowing further time for driver training & Winslow station fit out. It can still work on 2tph to MKeynes without the extra platform, using platforms 1 & 2

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

'Intolerable' construction noise caused by overnight rail works at Botley Road, Oxford



People living near a railway station say they are being kept awake by noisy overnight works.

Botley Road in Oxford has been closed since April 2023 as part of a £161m scheme to upgrade Oxford railway station and is expected to reopen in August 2026.

Network Rail said the recent noise was partly caused by the removal of an obstruction so it could build the foundations for a new bridge and keep the project on track.

Councillor Lois Muddiman said local residents were finding the noise pollution "intolerable".

Botley Road was closed as part of Network Rail's project to expand the station and improve connectivity.

When the rail operator first outlined its plans it was expected to be shut over two six-month periods, with a six-month break in-between. But in September 2023 it announced there would be no break because works ran behind schedule. Then, last July, it said it would not reopen in October as planned.

Resident Catherine Byrne told the BBC: "I've sat on Sunday with a cup of tea in front of me and watched the liquid shaking. It's truly awful and it's worrying. We have no idea what this kind of work is doing to our houses. I am definitely, as soon as this work is finished, going to get a structural engineer round to have a look at my house."  She said she felt "absolutely furious and completely helpless".

"We complain, we argue, we get furious, we fire off emails, we complain at meetings, and nothing ever changes," she added.

The Green Party's Muddiman, representing Osney & St Thomas, said: "Anyone around the Mill Street area or the Abbey and Cripley Road area who are right up against it, the noise is just intolerable. So I've had many, many messages yesterday from residents who are just struggling to deal with it and not able to go out into their gardens because it's so loud."

Network Rail apologised for the disruption but said the work had to take place when trains were not running. It described the obstruction as a large 4m-deep (13.1ft) brick structure which was not mentioned in its records and ground surveys.

It had to be removed "as quickly as possible" so scheduled work to install new foundations into the ground could continue, it said. More of this so-called "piling work" is scheduled over the next two weekends, from 23:05 on Saturdays until 04:40 on Mondays.

Oxford City Council confirmed it had received a number of complaints from residents and that it had "requested further information on the level of noise and vibration monitored" from the work. It described it as "complex engineering" which could "only be carried out during shut-down periods agreed by Network Rail - not the council - due to the impact on national rail infrastructure".

[ChrisB]

That is a very old photo - the footway access runs from the left hand side now

[Chris from Nailsea]

I merely quote the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), ChrisB - and, as we know, they are 'up to the minute' in terms of news. 

[John D]

if the 5th platform/ western station entrance isn't delivered then hasn't replacing the Botley Road bridge been a complete waste of money, certainly for rail and , given all the disruption, for Oxford itself?

Is there any point putting any more money into the railway industry, certainly in Oxfordshire, given the following:

A service pattern at Oxford that is worse than before Covid (XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) , GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and Chiltern) despite an increase in population.
Delays to running passenger trains on EWR^▸ (East West Railway (Oxford to Bedford), or possibly East Worthing station, depending on context) despite the railway being open for nearly a year (alleged Union issues).
An incomplete extension to Oxford station.
An electrification scheme that is half complete.

How can the industry be stopped from continually over promising and under delivering?
As an outsider seems like the industry needs a complete shakeup.

Network Rail has just issued (26 Sept) a tender for Oxford station phase 2d.  Value £0-40m subject to funding covering
Delivery 26 Oct 2026 to 31 Dec 2028

Network Rail wishes to procure the design & implementation of the following works at Oxford Railway Station.  -
-Platform 4 & 5 Works 
-Sheepwash Bridge Works 
-Western Entrance Building Works 
-Additional design & build scope may also be included.

It also appears there is an 8 day line closure starting 31st January 2026 to replace Botley bridge deck.

[grahame]

That is a very old photo - the footway access runs from the left hand side now

I merely quote the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), ChrisB - and, as we know, they are 'up to the minute' in terms of news. 

Here are some photos from yesterday; Oxford Station itself was having some trouble coping with all the traffic

[ChrisB]

Where were you standing to get that last photo?

[grahame]

Where were you standing to get that last photo?

I wasn't