Plans to enhance the road layout and facilities at Banbury Rail Station have been approved by Oxfordshire County Council, with construction set to start this autumn. The work will improve access to the station and better connect southern Banbury and the town centre.
Following a meeting of the county council’s cabinet today, the council will move forward with plans to build an alternative route linking Tramway Road with Station Approach Road and the station forecourt. The improvements will also include new bus stops, cycleways and footways.
When finished, the new layout should improve journey times to the station on foot and bike, as well as for buses and taxis, while also improving bus journey reliability into Banbury town centre. The changes should also reduce traffic at the Bridge Street junction, currently the only route to the station.
What to expect
Construction will start this autumn and is expected to take about one year. Vehicle drivers, pedestrians and cyclists can expect some changes to their journeys to the station, with road closures and diversions needed while different parts of the site are worked on.
The west station car park will be fully or partly closed at different points during construction, but the multistorey east station car park will still be available. Some pick-up and drop-off locations will also need to change.
Advance warning signs and diversion information will be prominently displayed, and the county council is working with Chiltern Railways and local taxi companies to make sure rail station users can plan their journeys throughout construction.
Funding for the improvements comes from the Housing and Growth Deal and existing developer contributions.
The full range of works include:
- Extending the northern end of Tramway Road to provide a connection to Station Approach Road and the station surface car park for all vehicles via a compact roundabout.
- Building a new signal-controlled route from Tramway Road to the station forecourt for cyclists and those using buses and taxis. This will enable a bus route to potentially serve the station and Tramway Road.
- Providing a new footway, cycleway, and bus stops along Tramway Road, and more bus stops at the station forecourt.
- Improving car parking and drop-off options, including new bays at the station and a new collection layby on Tramway Road.
- Creating a new vehicle access route to the west station car park off Station Approach Road South.
- Improving the lighting, surface water drainage and landscaping in the area.
More information can be found on the Oxfordshire County Council website at oxfordshire.gov.uk/banburystation.
Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Development Strategy, said: “I’m delighted that we can now get ready to start work on these much-anticipated improvements, which are designed to increase the use of Banbury rail station.
“Cyclists and pedestrians have not had a safe and segregated route to the station, and we will now be able to provide them with a new footway and cycleway.
“The west station car park will also be easier to access from the south of town, allowing station traffic to avoid the Bridge Street junction and Cherwell Street, reducing congestion and waiting times in the area.
“The improvements will make it easier for people to walk or cycle to their destination and make a direct bus route to the station a possibility.”
