Campaign launches to support branch line reopening

Restoring a passenger rail service in east Oxford would provide a "fast and reliable" transport link to the city centre, a newly-formed campaign group has said.

The Cowley Branch Line is currently only used by freight going to and from the BMW Mini Plant. It has been closed to passengers since 1963.

The Campaign for Cowley Branch Line has been set up to back efforts to create two new stations and provide a nine-minute journey time to the city centre.

The group is calling on local businesses to support the effort to get the transport link prioritised in regional infrastructure planning.

Under the proposals, passengers would be able to use new stations at Littlemore and Blackbird Leys to travel to Oxford city centre.

A direct service to London Marylebone would also run twice an hour.

Oxford City Council gave £500,000 to a project to help design the new branch stations on the route serving Oxford Science Park and Oxford Business Park.

A consultation carried out by the local authority in November reported "overwhelming support" for the reopening proposal.

The Campaign for Cowley Branch Line is led by ARC Oxford, the Ellison Institute of Technology and The Oxford Science Park.

It said the project would also help boost the wider local economy, creating between 6,000-10,000 new jobs.

Backing the campaign, MP for Oxford East Anneliese Dodds 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," said

The detailed business case for the Cowley Branch Line is due to be submitted to the government this spring.

If approved, Oxford City Council and Network Rail said they would work to progress the reopening as quickly as possible.

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