Calls to rebuild ?900m Witney to Oxford railway line
The revival of a once-prominent railway line in Oxfordshire could come to fruition, but at a very pretty penny. Following a study, commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council, it has been revealed that the return of the rail line could cost just shy of £1 billion.
A railway line connecting Carterton[1], Witney and Eynsham to Oxford could well be in the works after a feasibility study on the rail route was published by the County Council. The study was sparked by proposals for the rail line from the Witney Oxford Transport group.
The study included predicted journey times on the railway. It’s estimated that a rail journey from Carterton to Oxford would be 23 minutes, Witney[2] to Oxford would be 16 minutes, and Eynsham to Oxford[3] would be 11 minutes.
However, the study warned that the railway would come at an extremely high cost. Construction costs of building the rail line alone are estimated between £700-£900 million.
The study found that despite the high financial cost, the rail line is forecasted to be profitable if it goes ahead. The line was deemed “feasible”, but would have to be justified.
Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s[5] Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Development Strategy, said: “We committed to undertake a study to explore the potential for a new rail link to serve West Oxfordshire, which we have done. However, it would also come at a very significant cost, as well as having wider planning considerations, which we would need to discuss with West Oxfordshire District Council and other partners.”
Witney was once connected to Oxford via train, and it the railway connected places like Charlbury, Yarnton and Kirtlington to Oxford and beyond. However, British Railways pulled the plug on the train line and it hasn’t been used since.
The Oxfordshire County Council study has shown a strong case for the return of the railway[6], the first part of which could be delivered by 2033, earliest. However, the railway regeneration will depend on external factors.
A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: “It would, therefore, be a long-term project and would also depend on other rail improvements being funded and completed, including the planned upgrade to the North Cotswold Line, which the county council remains committed to. Funding for a rail project of this significance would mainly need to come from central government.”
Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council[7], said: “There is much work to be done and we will need to create the framework to ensure it is fully costed as an investment that will make a difference to the lives of our residents and address current and future employment. It is not what we do for ourselves today but what we leave for future generations.”
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References
- ^ Carterton (www.oxfordshirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Witney (www.oxfordshirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Oxford (www.oxfordshirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Great Western Railway commuter services in Oxfordshire saved from axe (www.oxfordshirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Oxfordshire County Council’s (www.oxfordshirelive.co.uk)
- ^ the return of the railway (www.oxfordshirelive.co.uk)
- ^ West Oxfordshire District Council (www.oxfordshirelive.co.uk)
- ^ press here to sign up (www.oxfordshirelive.co.uk)