Underpass plans 'genuine victory' for campaigners

The latest consultation on plans to link Oxford and Cambridge by train include proposals for an underpass to replace a level crossing following a campaign led by locals.

East West Rail's plans for the London Road crossing in Bicester had previously suggested only cyclists and pedestrians would be able to get through.

But following lengthy opposition from those in the north Oxfordshire market town, East West Railway Company (EWR) now says a single lane motorised underpass is its preferred option to replace the crossing.

Local MP Calum Miller said the updated plans were a "genuine victory for Bicester" that "belongs" to those who "refused to give up on London Road".

The crossing is set to permanently close on safety grounds when the East West Rail line becomes fully operational.

The new designs show a single-lane road for vehicles, alongside a protected active travel corridor for pedestrians and cyclists, but the underpass could not be used by tall vehicles such as lorries.

It comes five years after EWR first proposed the crossing would be closed altogether to all traffic.

In 2024, the company updated its proposals to incorporate transit options for cyclists and pedestrians - which led to locals accusing the firm of "cutting the town in two".

"That shift has not happened by accident," Miller, who is the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, said.

"It has happened because local people organised, spoke up and kept making the case that Bicester deserved better, and I am proud to have worked alongside them every step of the way," he added.

Chief executive of EWR, David Hughes, said the updated proposals "mark a major step forward" to "help ensure communities see the benefits of the project sooner".

He added the firm was "focused on improving the rail experience for everyone".

But EWR's updated proposals for the crossing are all subject to sourcing third-party funding for the project.

The firm said Oxfordshire County Council was "working closely" with the government to develop and help fund the proposal.

Referencing prior proposals, Paul Troop, chair of Bicester Bike Users' Group, said: "Given an underpass depends on third-party funding, there is still a serious risk of the company's fallback, a vertiginous stepped footbridge."

"Given the track will slice through the middle of the town, the company should commit to funding the underpass out of its own core budget rather than relying on the whim of others," he said.

The EWR consultation runs until 9 June and also includes updated proposals for Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village stations.

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