Botley Road to reopen in August 2026, Network Rail

Network Rail has announced that a key route through Oxford will reopen in August 2026.

It means that the Botley Road will have been closed at the railway bridge for nearly three and a half years since April 2023.

The company said it would introduce "vastly improved" access for pedestrians and cyclists in the summer.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy will visit the area today to speak to residents and businesses.

The project was due to be completed in October 2024 but has been repeatedly pushed back.

In July 2024 Network Rail said they could not confirm when it would be finished.

It has been creating disruption for residents and businesses, with some saying they were "shut off from the rest of the world".

Protesters have started gathering in front of The King's Centre on Osney Mead ahead of Lord Hendy's visit.

Vernon Orr who lives on East Street said he "feel most" for the elderly and people with disabilities who "have to funnel through what we call the tunnel of doom"

"And the poor souls that are stood in the rain on the bus stops which have sprung up along the Botley Road because of the station access being closed," he said

"In the tunnel, when there's a motorbike coming towards you, albeit they are not actually riding it, it is just very hard for old folk.

"So there are older people in West Oxford and beyond that are not coming into town. It's affecting businesses."

Lord Hendy, Network Rail's CEO Sir Andrew Haines and senior company representatives will join Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran at a public information event today to outline the new plans and provide updates for residents and businesses.

Lord Hendy said he had wanted to hear "first-hand" from those affected.

"I tasked Network Rail with producing a robust plan for its completion, which included additional measures to minimise and mitigate disruption as much as possible while still allowing this work to progress," he said.

"I'm pleased they have acted and I can assure residents and businesses that there is light at the end of the tunnel."

His visit follows a meeting with Moran in December.

At the time, she 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.

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.

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

Network Rail said the new timeline would deliver "the necessary utility diversions", along with enhancements to Botley Road, the replacement of Sheepwash bridge to accommodate more rail services and the new platform 5.

It has also promised "a much-improved walkway - almost 4x the size of the old one" to open in the summer for "much more space to get into and out of the city".

"A new upgraded flood defence system will also be installed, which includes a new concrete layer well below ground to keep out rising ground water and a new pumping system with huge retention tanks to deal with surface water," the statement reads.

"Network Rail has worked closely with its contactors and the Department for Transport to create a new programme for the Oxford Station Enhancement scheme, which takes into account feedback from residents, businesses and the local and county councils, whilst delivering the vital upgrades to the city's transport infrastructure."

Network Rail's western route managing director Marcus Jones said they were "extremely sorry" for the impact the road closure had.

"We already have a number of measures in place to lessen the impact of the closure as much as we can, and will continue to work with local authorities, stakeholders and communities to explore additional options," he said.

"We also appreciate this work is having an impact on local businesses and are looking at further ways we can help them."

A further public information event for residents will be held at the West Oxford Community Association Centre on Botley Road on 29 January.

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