Oxford – Witney – Carterton
We’re working with our partners at Witney Oxford Transport Group (WOT) to amplify this campaign.
THE VISION
The Carterton—Witney—Eynsham—Oxford railway will improve connectivity, reduce traffic congestion, provide multiple environmental benefits, and boost the area’s economy.
- Fast, efficient and reliable transport
- Connection into national Train Network and other travel infrastructure at Oxford rail hub
- 70% journey time savings between Carterton and Oxford
- Nearly an hour saved on travelling between Witney and Oxford
- New jobs and new opportunities
- Reduction in carbon emissions
- 1 million car miles saved a year
BACKGROUND
The original railway line opened in 1861, with passenger services running 1962 and freight services until 1970. Various studies have looked at bringing back the railway line. Most have, rightly, concluded that reinstating the line on its old alignment is not viable. Some of the key issues around the old alignment include:
- a route around Eynsham needs to serve new housing developments
- Eynsham P&R facility would take traffic directly off the A40 – the former Eynsham station is now a large Siemens facility
- the B4449 and and industrial park are both sited on the old track, demanding new routing at Eynsham
- countryside protection dictates routing nearer to the existing A40 corridor
- re-routing at South Leigh – houses have been built over the old alignment
- east of Witney, gravel extraction plans to make the old route impossible. Post-extraction, the site will be turned into lakes and reedbeds.
A 2001 Mott MacDonald report focused only on the old alignment. In 2009 the Association of Train Operating Companies’ report identified Witney as a town substantially grown since the closure and indicated a possible Benefit to Cost Ratio of 1.8 – a positive indication. 2015’s Oxfordshire County Council’s Local Transport Plan, stated the intention to “retain the option of a rail line to Witney as a longer term aspiration in its A40 Strategy”.
Importantly, none of the reports seriously considered new route alternatives reflecting the greatly changed facts on the ground, such as the necessity to find new station sites at Eynsham, Witney and Carterton.
THE ROUTE
WOT Group have explored various possible complete routes linking Carterton, Witney and Eynsham with the Cotswold main line into Oxford. Travel times would be 22, 16 and 9 minutes to Oxford.
The rail link’s exact route will be decided based on appropriate engineering studies and consultation.
FEASIBILITY
The recent 2023 feasibility study shows that it’s time to bring a rail line into Eynsham, Witney and Carterton.
Once the whole railway is open, it is expected to handle a very significant number of journeys, saving every year more than one million car miles, 5-6 fulltime person-years, 100 tonnes of carbon emissions from car use, and generating an annual operating profit of about £1.5 million.
Owners of properties near the stations should see their house values rise, because they will have improved access to jobs, leisure, learning and wider travel opportunities.
Interestingly, the report less about transport along the overcrowded corridor from Oxford to the West than about the economic and social prospects of West Oxfordshire. It states that the railway now offers the only realistic way to avoid economic stagnation in West Oxfordshire.
Rail costs – the same as new roads!
The all-in cost of heavy rail along the A40 corridor is estimated to be something like £900 million. At about £35.6 million per route kilometre, this is the same order of magnitude as the current A40 works package, likely to be overwhelmed by congestion shortly after completion.
BRTA SAYS…
- This partial new-build railway needs to be viewed as a commuter route to/from Oxford and London with through trains provided.
- There must be a new “bolt-hole” platform for trains coming to Oxford from the south, off the main line through-tracks, serving Carterton and Witney.
HOW TO ADD YOUR VOICE
Write in support of reopening to your local councillors and MP:
members.parliament.uk/members/commons
or www.writetothem.com
It’s powerful to write to your MP or councillor in your own words, telling your representative about your own beliefs and experiences and how they relate to this area. See below.
Think about the following questions when composing your letter to MPs / councillors:
- What journeys do you make? Work? Leisure? Appointments / visits?
How could this link improve the journeys you make? - Do you actively choose road over rail or bus? Why?
- Do you consider where you live to be well served by public transport?
- Do you have experience of new areas of housing and public transport?
- What are your experiences of the road journeys you make in the region?
- Have you made employment, school or relocation decisions based on journey times or access to public transport? Or on the lack of access to public transport?
- What are your thoughts on the environmental impact of your journeys?
- Do you have accessibility needs that affect journey decisions you make?
- What do you think about air pollution in your area?
- What are the most important transport related issues to you? Why? Journey times? Road congestion reduction? Pollution reduction? Accessibility? Taking freight off the roads in your area? A better connected region?
- What should be done next to make this happen?
Our tips: - Even if your MP is not in this region, your letter provides them with an opportunity to learn about the issue and take action themselves.
- Aim for your letter to be no longer than one and a half sides of A4.
- Engage. Get your representative’s attention with a dramatic fact or short statement.
- State the problem. Present the causes of the problem you just introduced. How widespread or serious is the problem?
- Inform them about the solutions that reopening would bring.
- Call to Action. Let them know what you want them to do about it.
- Ask for a response.