The Government has announced £120 million funding to reopen the Cowley branch line in Oxford, creating two new stations.

The money, part of a £500m investment in the Oxford – Cambridge Corridor, will enable the creation of Oxford Cowley and Oxford Littlemore , connecting Littlemore, Cowley, Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys to central Oxford in less than 10 minutes.

The line will also serve key business districts including ARC Oxford (formally the Oxford Business Park), The Oxford Science Park (TOSP) and the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), connecting those with Oxford West End (next to Oxford station) and Oxford North (near Oxford Parkway).

A special event is being planned for Oxford in which chief secretary to the Treasury, James Murray and Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail will be joined by local leaders from across the public, private and academic sectors to travel along the new line from Oxford Parkway, followed by a visit to the EIT.

EIT has unveiled it plans to invest £10 billion over the next 10 years on talent and science programmes, in addition to the two million sq ft campus in Littlemore. The Cowley branch line has been key to the EIT investment.

Local councils along with ARC Oxford, TOSP and EIT had jointly funded a £4.7m business and investment case, which was submitted to the Department for Transport earlier this year by Network Rail.

Work will also take place to identify additional infrastructure needed to connect the stations to residential areas which could include new bridges, pedestrian and cycle routes, and better connectivity with the bus network.

The reopening could also open the door to thousands of new homes and jobs. Forecasts suggest the new line will bring about almost one million return journeys each year.

Cllr Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, said: “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.”

Lisa Flashner, EIT’s chief operating officer, said: “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.”

Yong Shen, director of TOSP, said: “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.”

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