MORE than £4m are going to be spent to speed up plans to reopen the Cowley Branch Line to passengers.  

The line is currently used for freight services to and from the BMW Mini plant but has not had passenger services for decades.

Oxford City Council approved a £4.56m package to fund the detailed design and feasibility works required for the reopening of the line during a cabinet meeting yesterday (December 14).

The money will be spent on the production of a full business case, delivered by Network Rail, which will set out how the project could be implemented and funded.

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The business case would include the approved designs for the rail infrastructure, new stations, and plans for walking, cycling and public transport connections to the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The plans include two new stations in the south and east of Oxford, to enhance rail connectivity to the city and beyond to Bicester and longer distance destinations.

The first station would be next to the Oxford Science Park, Littlemore and the Ozone Leisure Complex, and would be called Oxford South.

The second, Oxford East, would be next to ARC Oxford (formerly Oxford Business Park), Oxford Retail Park and Blackbird Leys. 

Landowners which are proposing to contribute towards the £4.56m funding total are ARC Oxford, Oxford Science Park and the Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine.

Funds are also being contributed by the council and Oxfordshire County Council.

Councillor Louise Upton, cabinet member for health and transport at the city council, said:

“Reopening passenger services along the Cowley Branch Line would transform the lives of thousands of Oxford’s residents and workers, increasing the affordable options for sustainable travel into and around Oxford.

“The scheme is a positive step towards Oxford’s goal of zero carbon by 2040 and reducing traffic in the city.

“We are facing considerable competition against other national infrastructure projects for government grant funding, so we’re giving the Cowley Branch Line the best chance of being implemented by bringing together local partners to fund the work to produce a full business case.”

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Councillor Duncan Enright, the county council’s cabinet member for travel and development strategy, said: “The reopening of the Cowley Branch Line to passengers is a project we all want to see happen.

“We are delighted to be involved in progressing the business case for it, along with our partners at Oxford City Council, which will speed up the arrival in south and east Oxford of trains which will be a comfortable, swift and affordable route to and from the city centre, London, and the world.”

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This story was written by Anna Colivicchi, she joined the team this year and covers health stories for the Oxfordshire papers. 

Get in touch with her by emailing: Anna.colivicchi@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @AnnaColivicchi