A NEWLY published study has been heralded as the beginning of a renaissance for rail travel in Oxfordshire.

The Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study has looked at how practical steps can be taken to improve the railways in the county.

This includes bringing the Cowley Branch Line into use, which would allow commuters to move between the city centre, Cowley and the Oxford Science Park.

But it also includes plans for a new station at Grove and Wantage and upgrades to capacity on the tracks through Oxford.

When taken altogether, it provides an evidence base for how these improvements can be made, while Network Rail waits for the Government to decide whether or not it wants to fund the different projects.

The study, published on June 30, was welcomed by local leaders.

Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, said: “This report heralds the start of a rail renaissance for Oxford and the rest of the county.

"It will set our city at the heart of an enhanced network that will open up rail travel to our city centre for many more local people with the creation of the Cowley Branch Line and new stations at Begbroke and Grove."

In May, the Department for Transport confirmed £69m of funding for the next stage of the Oxford Corridor Capacity Phase 2 project.

A summary of the report is available via networkrail.co.uk