COWLEY BRANCH LINE DRAWS NEARER

The Campaign for Cowley Branch Line was launched on Thursday 27 March, to advocate for the re-opening of the Cowley Branch Line to passengers. The rail project would transform public transport for local communities, unlock new housing, create new jobs and support Oxford’s net-zero ambitions.

The campaign, led by ARC Oxford, the Ellison Institute of Technology and The Oxford Science Park, is calling on local businesses to lend their support in a collective effort to ensure that this essential transport link is prioritised in regional infrastructure planning.

The railway line, which has been closed to the public for 60 years, could be sustainably, quickly and affordably restored, says the consortium, not least because it is already in existence and used daily by near neighbour the German car maker BMW to send MINI cars off to Southampton docks. The project includes creating two new stations in East Oxford, Cowley and Littlemore, providing a nine-minute journey time to the city centre, and a direct service to London Marylebone running twice hourly.

Another community that would directly benefit from the extra connectivity is nearby Blackbird Leys.

The campaigners emphasise the following benefits:

• Fast and reliable journeys into Oxford city centre from two of the most deprived wards in the south of England, and important employment growth areas
• 1m rail journeys per year forecast by year four, easing traffic congestion in the city
• Approx. 6,000 allocated homes will be brought forward more quickly and a further 5,000 -10,000 homes will be potentially unlocked
• Supports the creation of more than 10,000 new jobs
• Unlocks 2.5m sq ft additional commercial space within existing innovation parks and
• Connects Oxford’s four major economic clusters (ARC Oxford, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford West End, Oxford North) to London

A consultation for the Cowley Branch Line in 2024 showed that over 90% of the public who responded were supportive or very supportive of the project.

Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East, said: ‘It’s important to deliver this project because it goes beyond just a transport measure and helps us deliver much needed housing for Oxford residents as well as creating a new expanded hub for innovation and economic growth.’

Sir John Bell, President of the Ellison Institute of Technology, said: ‘The Cowley Branch Line upgrade will be transformational for Oxford. It will benefit local communities, boost economic growth and create new collaborations and breakthroughs throughout the UK.’

The detailed business case for the Cowley Branch Line is being submitted to the UK government this spring. If the case is approved, Oxford City Council, Network Rail and others will work to progress the reopening as quickly as possible.

County Council lead for the Cowley Branch, Simon Lymn, says that the scheme still requires a central government spending commitment, adding that current timescale for the railway to be re-opened to passenger trains is the late 2020s, if the government supports it.

Fans of the scheme had previously hoped for a 2026 opening but that is now believed to have slipped to 2028-30. Part of the capacity for the trains rests on the ongoing rebuilding and expansion of Oxford’s main railway station, which will include the addition of a fifth platform.

The campaign consortium boasts over a dozen names of successful local businesses, some of them like medical tech company Perspectum originally Oxford University spin-outs. Another member is Oxford’s leading venture builder investment company Oxford Science Enterprises.