An Infrastructure Place Study contract for a new branch line to Cowley has been awarded by Oxford City Council to SLC Rail.

The Study is intended to identify any additional infrastructure requirements for the rail scheme to be fully integrated with existing communities by maximising options to improve local movement and connectivity. This study will take place concurrently with the development of a finance and funding strategy to support a Full Business Case for the project.

The contract with SLC Rail commission is part of a wider £4.5 million package of work for reopening the line to passengers as it is currently only used by freight trains to BMW’s manufacturing plant at Cowley.

If funding is secured for the scheme, the line will be upgraded to make it suitable for passenger services, with new stations at Oxford Littlemore near Oxford Science Park and Oxford Cowley near ARC Oxford.

As well as SLC Rail, the Study comprises a multi-disciplinary team including 5th Studio (spatial framework), SLC Property (property and planning), Anthony Collins Solicitors (legal planning policy), Transition by Design (stakeholder engagement), and Maddison Graphic (engagement material).

During the design, SLC Rail will liaise closely with Network Rail which is drawing on previous development work to develop an engineering design for the rail infrastructure and core station solutions, and produce a Full Business Case. Working closely together, SLC Rail and Network Rail aim to submit the funding requirements to the Government and other potential funders later this year.

Sam Uren, Director of SLC Rail, said: “This is the type of exciting project we like to get involved with, and we’re keen to contribute to its progression so that the new stations are thoughtfully integrated and fully accessible to maximise the positive impact to the communities within southeast Oxford.”

Tom Holbrook, Director of 5th Studio, said “The Infrastructure Place Study for the Cowley Branch line will build on our thinking for the National Infrastructure Commission on good growth in the Oxford to Cambridge Arc. It joins a suite of projects at different scales in the practice that aim for better-integrated rail infrastructure and urban planning.”

Councillor Louise Upton, Cabinet Member for Planning, said: “I am delighted that we’ve reached this exciting stage in our proposals to facilitate reopening the Cowley Branch Line to passengers.

“A passenger service on this line would allow people to get from Blackbird Leys to the city centre in just over 10 minutes. This would really improve the city’s public transport options, increasing overall capacity locally, reducing congestion on our roads and contributing to a better rail network regionally.

“While Network Rail is already working on the designs for the two proposed stations, this new commission will specifically look at bridges and paths to ensure that the new stations are accessible to the surrounding residential and commercial areas and provide new links across the existing line.

“We’re looking forward to working with SLC Rail, 5th Studio, Transition by Design, Anthony Collins, and all stakeholders so that the train line can deliver maximum benefits for local communities and businesses.”