Chiltern Railways and Network Rail opened a new rail link connecting central Oxford with the capital, following a unique £320 million (€382 million) investment by the franchise operator and the infrastructure manager.
The completion of the new rail link to London sees central Oxford connected to Marylebone via successful new stations Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village. It has been just 12 months since the line opened from Oxford Parkway on the outskirts of Oxford in October 2015. The first year has seen over 1.5 million passengers using the line; this is expected to grow to with the extension into the city.
The new link is part of Britain’s Railway Upgrade Plan and is an example of new, direct competition on Britain’s railways creating choice and flexibility for customers. The idea for the line was conceived by Chiltern Railways who invested £130 million (€155 million) of the £320 million total cost. Network Rail constructed the line on time and within budget as part of the wider East West Rail project, contributing £190 million (€226.7 million).
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