The reopening of one, two, if not three old rail lines would put Oxford back as the regional transport hub it was in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Work on re-establishing the East-West route from Oxford to Bletchley (Milton Keynes) is already under way.
Plans to restore passenger services between Oxford and Cowley are in the pipeline, and now the revival of the Oxford-Witney has again been mooted.
The history of these three routes, plus others in the area, is outlined in rail enthusiast Laurence Waters’s latest book, Railways of Oxford, A Transport Hub that Links Britain.
Read more: It's manic at east Oxford pub as drinkers return for beers outside
The Oxford-Bletchley line opened in 1851 and was part of an important cross-country route for both passengers and freight, which eventually stretched to Bedford and Cambridge.
At the Oxford end, trains ran across the famous swing bridge into the Rewley Road station, on the site of the former Rewley Abbey founded in about 1287.
A locomotive on the swing bridge at Rewley Road, Oxford, in 1934
There were eight intermediate stations on the 31-mile route to Bletchley - at Islip, Bicester, Launton, Marsh Gibbon & Poundon, Claydon, Verney Junction, Winslow and Swanbourne.
The Rewley Road station closed in October 1951 and passenger services were redirected to the nearby Great Western station until their withdrawal in December 1967. The yard, which supplied much of the Oxford’s coal, remained open to freight traffic until 1984.
The Oxford-Bletchley line stayed largely intact to transport freight to and from the Army base at Bicester and to deliver waste to a former quarry at Calvert, near Buckingham.
That meant the trackbed was still there when passenger services between Oxford and Bicester re-started in 1987 and will be there for future services to Bletchley and beyond.
No 2221 at Witney in the last week of operation in 1962, telling passengers ‘the end is near’ – Picture: CG Stuart
Chiltern Railways extended the revived Oxford-Bicester service to London Marylebone in 2015 and 2016 and has plans to run passenger trains through to Cowley, on the former line to Princes Risborough.
As we recalled (Memory Lane, January 11), this route opened in stages between 1862 and 1864, with stations at Littlemore, Wheatley, Tiddington, Thame and Bledlow. Morris Cowley station, for car workers, opened in 1928.
Read again: Photographers snapped shadows for Camera Club
Passenger services were withdrawn in 1963, but the section from Oxford to Cowley has remained open for freight trains serving the car plant. The line would need to be upgraded to take passenger trains. Meanwhile, some hope to see trains running again from Oxford to Eynsham, Witney, Carterton and Brize Norton, to relieve traffic congestion on the A40.
No 7404 at Witney in 1962 with a train to Oxford – Picture: Michael Hale
There was great jubilation when the line to Witney opened on November 13, 1861.
Read more: Special Phoenix comic prepares youngsters for operations
The day was declared a public holiday for the town, the station was decorated and the rail company directors and guests were treated to a dinner at the Marlborough Hotel. Railways of Oxford, by Laurence Waters, is published by Pen & Sword Transport.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here