Level crossing closure part of new rail line plans

The first test trains recently started running between Oxford and Milton Keynes

Infrastructure plans to support a new multibillion-pound railway line through Oxfordshire have been unveiled.

As part of the East West Rail project, developers have proposed Bicester's busy London Road level crossing be closed and replaced by a footbridge or underpass.

They also suggest that additional facilities should be installed at Oxford, Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village train stations.

East West Railway (EWR) will eventually link Oxford and Cambridge via Bicester, Milton Keynes and Bedford, with the Oxford to Milton Keynes section due to open next year.

David Hughes, CEO of EWR, said the service would "improve people’s everyday lives".

"Local authorities and businesses have been calling for this railway for three decades and our revised plans aim to maximise the benefits of the project," he said.

The London Road crossing links south east Bicester to the town's centre

EWR said to accommodate the planned four services operating on the route per hour, the Bicester Road crossing would be forced to close for more than 32 minutes of every 60.

It said this would create "unacceptable" waiting times for users of the crossing and the "doubling" of traffic queues, as well as "significant safety concerns".

The company has instead proposed the crossing be permanently closed, with a footbridge or underpass for pedestrians and cyclists installed in its place.

Under the plans, road traffic would be re-routed via existing roads.

Other proposals include improvements at pre-existing stations, and the use of partly electrified lines, with trains using hybrid batteries.

A consultation into the proposals will run for 10 weeks.

Councillor Liz Leffman, chair of England’s Economic Heartland, the sub-national transport body for the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge region, said: "The launch of this consultation represents a significant milestone for a project the region has campaigned for over several decades.

"We must ensure the scheme to be delivered is planned, built and operated in a way which leaves the best possible legacy for our communities, businesses, environment and wider transport system."

EWR previously told the BBC journey times between Oxford and Cambridge would be reduced to 90 minutes from the current "two and a half hours by car or coach".

The entire line is expected to open to passengers in the early 2030s.