£890m Feasibility Study for Rail Link in Oxfordshire
Oxford County Council issued a preliminary strategic outline case study for a new rail route which would connect Carterton, Witney and Eynsham to Oxford. The case study stated that a line for the Carterton-Witney-Oxford Rail Corridor is feasible and would be profitable especially as the A40 is expected to reach capacity by 2031.
The plans in the study laid out various potential routes which could be delivered in a phased approach. Phase 1 of the plan (to be delivered in the second half of 2031) would see the railway line constructed from Yarnton to Eynsham at a cost between £180m to £250m. Phase 2 (to be delivered first half of 2035) would be to build the track between Eynsham and Carterton North at a cost between £420m to £540m depending on the route chosen. Phase 3 (to be delivered in the first half of 2035) would then see a line built between Carterton North and Carterton West at a cost of £100m.
Carterton, Witney & Eynsham together are one of the biggest populations in the country without a rail link. And the study estimated that journey times by bus or car would be reduced by around an hour as the time taken to journey by rail from Carterton to Oxford could take as little as 23 minutes and 16 minutes from Witney and 11 minutes from Eynsham.
Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for travel and development strategy Duncan Enright said: “We are delighted to see the publication of this study exploring future sustainable options for transport between West Oxfordshire and Oxford.
“We really hope that it will prompt much-needed government investment into ambitious rail enhancement in Oxfordshire and take pressure off the overstretched A40. A rail link could save more than one million car miles and 100 tonnes of carbon emissions from car use every year as well as making travel easier for commuters and other visitors.”
Funding sources for the project are yet to be determined but the study believes it is “likely to come from a range of public and private sources including development, land value capture, and local/national government.”
#oxfordshire #infrastructure #railways #UK #projects