Today, 23 October, government has announced £120m of funding to reopen the Cowley Branch Line to passengers and create two new stations at Oxford Cowley and Oxford Littlemore in south-east Oxford.
The reopening of the line will connect communities in Littlemore, Cowley, Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys to central Oxford, in under 10 minutes, and then directly onto London Marylebone. It will also connect four of Oxford’s growth areas along one route from ARC Oxford (formally the Oxford Business Park), The Oxford Science Park & the Ellison Institute of Technology, Oxford West End (next to Oxford Station), and Oxford North (near Oxford Parkway).
Today's announcement will be followed by a special event in Oxford when the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, The Rt Hon James Murray MP and Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail joined by local leaders from across the public, private and academic sectors to travel along the Cowley Branch Line from Oxford Parkway, followed by a visit to the Ellison Institute of Technology.
Ellison Institute of Technology has also unveiled it plans to invest £10bn over the next ten years on talent and science programmes, in addition to the 2m sq ft campus in Littlemore. The Cowley Branch Line project has been a key factor in unlocking this nationally significant Foreign Direct Investment.
The project to reopen the Cowley Branch Line to passengers has been a longstanding priority for the city and county councils, and today’s announcement is the result of many years of work and commitment from local partners.
The councils, along with ARC Oxford, The Oxford Science Park, and the Ellison Institute of Technology, have worked together to fund a £4.7m business and investment case, which was submitted to the Department for Transport earlier this year by Network Rail.
Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East, has also championed the project with an annual walk along the route of the line to raise awareness.
Next steps
Reopening the Cowley Branch Line to passengers will help connect communities in Oxford, providing quicker and more sustainable connections. The line is designed to be an accessible and affordable option for local travel. The city and county councils will work to ensure fares to and from central Oxford are in line with other similar-length journeys -- for example, from Oxford Parkway to Oxford.
So far, £4.7m has been invested in feasibility work and local partners will be asked to contribute £35m to the total construction cost. Both the city and county councils have already committed funds to this and will work with other landowners to secure further contributions.
Work will also 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 connectivity with the bus network.
About the Cowley Branch Line project
Reopening the Cowley Branch Line will bring wide-ranging benefits to Oxford and the surrounding area by unlocking thousands of new homes and could create over 10,000 new jobs. It will help to reduce congestion, cut carbon emissions, and provide the rail capacity needed to support East West Rail and government growth priorities.
It is forecast to attract almost one million return journeys each year.
Comment
“Today marks a major milestone in our campaign to reopen the Cowley Branch Line to passengers, something that has been a priority for us for over a decade. In 2023, the City Council decided to take the lead in making it a reality by investing £3.8m of our money, alongside securing additional funds from partners, and directly commissioning Network Rail to develop the Full Business Case for the reopening of the line.
“I am glad that the leadership and conviction the City Council showed in taking this risk has now paid off.
"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.
“We are proud to have worked with our partners to get the project to this stage, and we’re pleased the government recognises how important it is for the people of Oxford and beyond. We now need to work with landowners and developers in the area to help pay for the line and the works needed to connect the stations into the communities they serve.”
Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council
“This is wonderful news and well deserved after all the hard work that so many organisations have put into making this happen. The Cowley Branch Line will form a critical part of our Oxfordshire Metro concept of fully integrated public transport and active travel links, connecting communities and businesses.
“This week the county council agreed an initial £10m investment in our emerging new OxRail 2040: Plan for Rail and we look forward to presenting ambitious and deliverable plans for additional services and stations right across the county to support sustainable economic growth.”
Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council
“I’m delighted that after years of campaigning for the reopening of the Cowley branch line, alongside local residents, this is finally going to become a reality! I’m grateful to everyone who has pushed for the line to be reopened for so many years”
“The reopened branch line will make a massive difference to local residents, slashing travel times and reducing congestion. It will also open up many economic opportunities for local residents. I’m so pleased that the government has listened to Oxford today!”
Anneliese Dodds, MP for East Oxford
“I am delighted by today’s announcement that the Cowley Branch Line will be reopened as a passenger line. This announcement has been the culmination of years of hard work from many organisations across Oxford and will support the fantastic opportunities for growth throughout the city and county.
“The reopened branch line will have a transformative impact on the south and east of Oxford, helping to unlock new houses and jobs for local residents. Enhanced connectivity will support local communities by cutting commuting times for residents, boosting growth for businesses and supporting Oxfordshire’s wider economy.”
Neale Coleman CBE, Chair of the Oxford Growth Commission
“A new station at ARC Oxford will help our members attract world-class talent and grow their businesses, while strengthening connections between local communities, companies and research hubs.
“This decision will support the continued growth of our thriving campus and help ensure Oxford remains a global leader in science and technology.”
Jim Stretton, Managing Director of ARC
“The reopening of the Cowley Branch Line and the creation of a station at The Oxford Science Park will greatly improve connectivity for our tenants to the city and beyond. It’s a significant, tangible step towards more sustainable transport options and will support the continued growth and collaboration that define the Park.”
Yong Shen, Director of The Oxford Science Park
“We’re delighted to hear the Cowley Branch Line will be reopened to passenger traffic. It’s a great example of what can happen if government and the private sector join forces and both contribute to a common goal. It will help us attract world-class talent to EIT by linking up key innovation hubs with Central London via direct train services. It will also facilitate a closer alliance between EIT and Oxford University with faster journey times as well benefit local residents.”
Lisa Flashner, EIT’s Chief Operating Officer
“This is 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.
“It also demonstrates what can be achieved when the public sector and private sector come together to enable infrastructure investment which drives economic and social benefit.”
Rob Brighouse, Chair of Oxford Strategic Rail Promoters’ Group
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