Level crossing challenges 'insurmountable'

A minister has said there are "insurmountable" challenges to building a new crossing for vehicles at London Road in Bicester.

The comments were made at a parliamentary debate on the issue, secured by the Liberal Democrat MP for the area, Calum Miller.

He said the proposed closure of the level crossing because of East West Railway (EWR) would "cut the town in two".

Lilian Greenwood, a minister in the Department for Transport, said "no final decision" had been made but a road bridge or tunnel has been ruled out.

"East West Railway Company has reviewed all possible options for the crossing, having consulted on these in 2021," she said.

"These options included a road bridge over the crossing and a road tunnel underneath it.

"As the East West Railway Company has previously set out... providing an overbridge or underpass presented insurmountable design, constructability and affordability challenges and these options were not progressed."

EWR will eventually link Oxford and Cambridge via Bicester, Milton Keynes and Bedford, with the Oxford to Milton Keynes section due to open next year.

As part of the project, developers have proposed the London Road level crossing should be closed and replaced by a footbridge or underpass.

But Mr Miller said that was not sufficient and residents should be "compensated" for the loss of the level crossing.

"In this case car users are being asked to make materially longer journeys, without any alleviation," he said.

"The situation here, I would say, is akin to a Compulsory Purchase Order.

"The railway has in this case determined that it will compulsorily close the road at the level crossing, but instead of fully compensating the community for the loss of the road, the current proposal is to give them a limited underpass.

"EWR and the government need to do better".

Mrs Greenwood insisted the government was listening

"No final decision has been taken on which option to take forward for the level crossing and future access for the local community," she said.

"And feedback from the public will of course play a part in influencing the outcome."

A consultation on the EWR project is open until 24 January.

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.