A new study into restoring the railway between Oxford, Eynsham and Witney and continuing west to Carterton has concluded that the investment would reduce road congestion and bring other benefits. The study was commissioned by West Oxfordshire District Council from consultants Lichfields. The line to Witney started at Yarnton Junction on the North Cotswolds line and ran to Fairford until passenger services were withdrawn in June 1962, but Fairford is not included in the current proposals. The latest study follows an earlier investigation by Oxfordshire County Council in 2023, which said predicted journey times to Oxford of 23 minutes from Carterton, 16 minutes from Witney and 11 minutes from Eynsham represented journey time savings of more than 70 per cent. The new study also points out that further upgrades to the A40 would not be enough on their own to cope with future demand. Much of the formation of the old line has been lost. At Witney the railway was buried under the dual carriageway A40 bypass which runs to the south of the town, and in 2023 the cost of building a new line was put at between £700 million and £900 million. The latest study says the scheme could offer ‘high’ value for money when wider benefits to the economy, environment and public health are included, and these benefits are estimated to be more than double the cost of the scheme. West Oxfordshire District Council’s executive member for planning Cllr Hugo Ashton said: ‘What this study has shown us is that a rail connection wouldn’t just improve how people travel; it could transform how we grow as a district. It makes a strong case for including rail as part of a long-term, joined-up plan and also shows that it is economically viable. ‘From unlocking new housing to boosting access to jobs, essential services, education, and reducing congestion and carbon emissions, the benefits would be wide-reaching and underline why sustainable transport must be at the heart of our plans for the future.’ Restoring a railway on the Witney corridor and safeguarding the necessary land is also included in the evidence base for the council’s Local Plan for 2041, which is currently out for consultation. What do you think? Click here to let us know.
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The government has announced a new collaboration with France on cross-Channel transport, saying the aim is to take ‘ambitious action’ over decarbonisation, confirm a new regulatory framework following Brexit and encourage more rail operators to run international services. Eurostar said: ‘Eurostar welcomes the UK-France declaration as a meaningful step toward further improving cross-Channel connectivity. Eurostar’s CEO, Gwendoline Cazenave, was proud to join President Macron’s official business delegation during his State Visit, underlining the importance of strong Franco-British economic ties and the vital role international rail plays in that relationship. ‘Eurostar is growing fast. In 2024, we carried 19.5 million passengers across our network – a 5 per cent increase on the previous year, with London-Paris route seeing 280,000 more travellers. The focus is now to invest €2 billion in 50 new trains and to grow direct services from London to Frankfurt and Geneva to reach an ambitious target of carrying 30 million passengers annually. ‘We look forward to working closely with both governments to ensure the cross-Channel network can meet future demand and deliver more sustainable journeys across Europe.’ The announcement has come as several potential open access operators are continuing their efforts to launch services in competition with Eurostar but capacity at Temple Mills depot in east London is under pressure, and so far no solution to this problem has been revealed. What do you think? Click here to let us know.