Call to move train station to Oxpens (From Oxford Mail)

Call to move train station to Oxpens

OXFORD Civic Society says Oxford station should be moved to Oxpens as the heart of a new city transport hub.

The society believes the county and city councils and the Rail companies should seize “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to transform the city’s transport infrastructure.

It will set out its case at a meeting with Network Rail today, following talks with Chiltern Railways and the councils.

The idea of moving the station looked to have been written off as too costly.

But the Civic Society is hoping to breathe life into the idea of creating a “rail station fit for the 21st century” in Oxpens.

Its ideas would include a central bus station, a hotel, new homes and commercial developments.

Oxford City Council is pressing the rail property quango BRB (Residuary) to release land near the ice rink for up to 500 new homes.

And Network Rail is already implementing a £5bn programme over the next decade to improve routes from Paddington.

Tony Joyce, vice-president of the Civic Society, said: “Network Rail has recognised the need for a major expansion of Oxford station.

“More platforms are required.”

He said the availability of land at Oxpens provided “the opportunity for a genuine flagship development, which could retain and enhance green space along the riverside setting and transform one of Oxford’s less attractive central areas.”

Mr Joyce added that the society’s ideas would be an alternative to a revamp of the existing station and would address the problem of bus services operating from a variety of city centre locations.

Mr Joyce said the position of the existing station made the traffic bottleneck at Frideswide Square much worse.

The Civic Society wants the councils, together with the Local Enterprise Partnership, to fund a new technical and feasibility study.

Network Rail recently submitted proposals to the government for 2014 to 2019, including a £35m plan to improve the railway in and around Oxford.

Spokesman Sam Kelly said: “We recognise that increasing numbers of people are using the railway in Oxford.

“We are investing heavily to improve Oxfordshire’s railways and will continue to work with Oxfordshire County Council and other interested parties.”

County council spokesman Paul Smith warned: “It would be highly likely that the costs of moving the station would far outweigh the costs of improving the station on its current site.”