The Cowley Branch train line between the Oxford Rail Station and London Marylebone is set to reopen, with the first passenger trains expected in 2029. With trains every 30 minutes to London throughout the day, the new line will reduce travel time significantly for users.
The current Chiltern Railways service takes between 70 and 85 minutes, which is expected to be cut by 20 to 30 minutes without the detour through Bicester Village. Two additional stations, Oxford Cowley and Oxford Littlemore, will also be constructed, with a travel time of less than 10 minutes into central Oxford.
The reopening of the Cowley Branch was made possible by a £120 million investment announced by the Labour government on Thursday, as part of a broader £500 million package to boost infrastructure and housing between Oxford and Cambridge, to create a “European Silicon Valley”.
An additional £35 million has been announced by both city and county councils, as well as local businesses and commercial research centres, such as the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT). The EIT is set to open in 2027 and has already announced a strategic partnership with Oxford University, with its main campus being a short walk away from the new Oxford Littlemore station. Both will be designed by Lord Norman Foster, who is the architect of the Gherkin, Millennium Bridge amongst others in London as well as the Apple Park in California.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, stated: “This investment is a major vote of confidence in Oxford as a global hub for science and innovation and shows what can be achieved when government and world-class institutions like the Ellison Institute of Technology work together to deliver for our communities.”
The “European Silicon Valley” is a government initiative aiming to create and revitalise a corridor between Oxford and Cambridge focused on dynamic tech innovation by 2035, supported by major transport, housing, and research investments.
The Cowley Branch reopening is set to boost the local economy, attracting up to £10 billion in private investments – including expanding business and science parks like ARC, OSC, and the EIT – as well as housing developments, leading to the creation of up to 10,000 jobs in the local area.
Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey commented: “The Cowley Branch Line will stitch together our science parks, hospitals and new cultural spaces so that ideas, researchers and local residents can move more easily across our city – and out to London – every day. As Oxford accelerates initiatives like the Oxfordshire Strategic Innovation Taskforce, today’s decision is a practical step toward the inclusive, sustainable and fair prosperity we want to see for our communities.”
The new train line will also help reduce congestion in central Oxford, and promote more sustainable means of travel. The line currently only serves BMW Mini freight trains from the Oxford plant, and had been shut to passenger rail service since 1963. Local Labour MP Annelise Dodds had been leading a campaign advocating for its reopening for several years, including a symbolic annual walk from Cowley to Oxford.
Dodds said: “I’m delighted that after years of campaigning for the reopening of the Cowley branch line, alongside local residents, this is finally going to become a reality! I’m grateful to everyone who has pushed for the line to be reopened for so many years.
“The reopened branch line will make a massive difference to local residents, slashing travel times and reducing congestion. It will also open up many economic opportunities for local residents. I’m so pleased that the government has listened to Oxford today.”
