THE main building at Oxford railway station could be knocked down to make way for new platforms under plans being considered by transport bosses.

The major redevelopment would see four through platforms – with no dead ends – built to solve what officials see as a major regional bottleneck.

County councillor Rodney Rose, responsible for Oxfordshire’s transport infrastructure, said the project was the only long-term solution to create enough capacity on Oxfordshire’s Rail network.

The proposal is put forward in a new county council rail strategy covering the next 22 years, which lists a station revamp by 2018 as the “top priority”.

Under the proposal, the existing station would be demolished with trains pulling up either side of two island platforms, boosting the flow of trains.

The council’s draft Rail Strategy and Delivery Plan, to be discussed by Cabinet today, calls for a new project board to oversee the station’s re-design and link it with scheduled work to electrify the track and update signalling.

The strategy says: “Oxford station has been identified by Network Rail as being a significant constraint on the network and is our top priority for improvement.

“Once the £850m redevelopment of Reading station is complete, this will become the biggest single capacity bottleneck in the Thames Valley and a major barrier to rail and economic growth.”

It goes on: “It is predicted that the number of peak services using the station is close to the maximum that can be accommodated, before any additional passenger or freight growth.”

In 2010, less ambitious plans to add an extra platform on the long stay car park were axed when County Hall lost millions of pounds of Government funding.

Network Rail is still committed to the project, and has asked for funding between 2014 and 2019.

But Mr Rose said in the longer term, the complete redesign of the station was needed.

He said: “I still think this is something we should push for.

“Oxford is going to be the major bottleneck, and if East-West Rail goes through it will make it even worse.”

Network Rail spokesman Sam Kelly said a complete rebuild was not part of its current plans, but it would “gladly discuss it” with the council.

She added: “In terms of the station itself, we will be working with First Great Western, Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council to review passenger flow through the station to provide better facilities in the future.

“With regards to the railway itself, our plans over the coming years will provide the capacity need for the future.”

First Great Western would not comment on the plans, but said stakeholders and rail users should “make their aspirations known” ahead of its attempt to regain the franchise to run trains to London from April 2013.

Chiltern Railways has its own separate plans to build two new platforms on the old parcels platform and part of the short stay car park to serve its new Evergreen 3 link to London via Bicester.

The council’s new rail strategy includes other ambitious projects.

It says “the time is right to look at again at the potential of a Grove & Wantage station” and that a train service could be offered by firms competing to win the Great Western franchise in 2013.

And it commits the council to investigate reinstatement of the rail link between Oxford, Witney and Carterton, to improve connections with the west Oxfordshire towns and RAF Brize Norton.

The public will be able to have their say on the proposals in a consultation process due to start next month.

RAIL STRATEGY PRIORITIES

  • Major projects already set to go ahead include electrification, the creation of the Evergreen 3 link from Oxford to Bicester, the East-West rail link, and £5.6m redevelopment of Didcot Parkway forecourt
  • A new masterplan for Oxford railway station, the re-development of Frideswide Square and integration of the station into the West End redevelopment
  • More parking and bus facilities proposed for Bicester Town station, with a link to Bicester North. There is potential for rail freight facility at Graven Hill, using the Bicester Military Railway network.
  • Opening a railway station near Grove and Wantage to serve Science Vale UK
  • Redesign of Banbury station forecourt
  • Improve buses from Witney to Hanborough station, and investigate long-term reinstatement of a rail link from Oxford to Witney and Carterton
  • Improve parking and public transport links to stations in the Cotswolds