Oxfordshire commuters boarded a new rail service into London on Monday morning that makes use of a new stretch of line near Bicester. The £320M project involved building new twin track to link the Chiltern mainline into Marylebone with a former branch line through to Oxford.

 

New stations have opened at Oxford Parkway beside the A34 and at Bicester Village to serve a nearby retail complex. Next year the route will be extended from Oxford Parkway through to Oxford city centre.

 

“This investment delivers the first new service between a major British city and London for over 100 years,” said Chiltern Railways managing director Rob Brighthouse.

 

Opening of the new route offers Oxfordshire residents an alternative to travelling into London Paddington via Reading. Motorists looking to park up and complete their journey into the capital by train can make use of 1500 spaces at Oxford Parkway station. The journey from Oxfordshire into London takes under an hour.

 

Chiltern Railways has invested £130M of the £320M total cost of the new line and stations, with Network Rail contributing £190M.

 

Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne said: “Investing in new rail links and train stations boosts the economy, providing opportunities for new housing and more jobs. By working closely with Chiltern Railways on this part of our railway upgrade plan we have been able to deliver a much needed new transport option for Oxford based businesses and leisure travellers to London.”