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Botley Road scheme announcement expected today

Network Rail A cordoned-off section of the Botley Road ongoing works shows diggers and vans crowded around sections of road which have been dug up and are being supported by metal beams. In the background buses can be seen at bus stops and passengers can be seen walking along the roadworks cordon.Network Rail
The delayed works have led to residents and businesses saying they were "shut off from the rest of the world"

An announcement on the timeline of the £161m redevelopment of Oxford station is expected today.

The project has meant Botley Road, a key route through the city, has been closed at the railway bridge since April 2023.

Its completion date has been repeatedly pushed back, and in July 2024 Network Rail said they could not confirm when the project would be finished.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy and representatives from Network Rail are expected to visit Oxford later to meet residents and businesses affected by the disruption.

The works have led to residents and businesses saying they were "shut off from the rest of the world".

In a large collection of personal statements from local people, resident and author Julian Le Vay described the community as "angry but powerless".

The visit follows a meeting between Lord Hendy and the Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon Layla Moran in December.

At the time, Moran was assured the project would be completed but the due date would not be known until January.

A round-table meeting, including Moran, Labour MP for Oxford East Anneliese Dodds, councillors from Oxford City, Oxfordshire County, and Vale of White Horse Councils, will also be held today.

Layla Moran MP From right to left, Layla Moran, Lord Peter Hendy, and Network Rail's Andrew Haines and Tim Walden.Layla Moran MP
The expected visit by Rail Minister Lord Hendy (third from left to right) follows on from his meeting with MP Layla Moran

Dodds said she would push for the road closure to come to an end "without further setbacks".

"Communities and local businesses have been cut off from each other for far too long," she said.

She added that she had been pushing "hard" for the meeting to happen along with city and county council colleagues.

Anneliese Dodds MP Anneliese Dodds MP outside Oxford railway station. She has her arms crossed in front of her chest.Anneliese Dodds MP
Labour MP for Oxford East Anneliese Dodds said she would push for the road closure to come to an end "without further setbacks"

Susan Brown, Labour leader of Oxford City Council, said they hoped to get "some certainty today about timelines for the project completion".

Earlier in the month, the Department for Transport said: "We understand the frustration caused by the closure of Botley Road and recognise the impact on local residents, businesses, and visitors to Oxford. This work, part of the Oxford Station upgrade, will create a safer, more accessible road layout for buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

"We've asked Network Rail for a clear plan to complete the works as quickly as possible, and we'll provide residents and stakeholders with clarity on next steps shortly."

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