Study shows potential benefits of new railway station at Ardley
A new study has shown there is a credible basis for a new passenger railway station at Ardley to be developed.
An initial pre-feasibility study by Oxfordshire County Council explored the potential for the new station on the Chiltern Main Line, including assessing viability and identifying key considerations for further development.
Councillor Gareth Epps, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “A new station at Ardley is something we explored in last year’s OxRail 2040: Plan for Rail, our ambitious plan to improve rail transport and connectivity across Oxfordshire and the wider region.
“This latest study, which we commissioned, has shown that a station at Ardley could significantly enhance rail access for nearby communities currently reliant on road travel. It could also serve a wider catchment area with appropriate infrastructure, mitigating the effects of wider proposed growth and transport changes.”
The pre-feasibility study is an early evaluation to see if there is enough evidence to continue developing the Ardley station proposal and to identify opportunities and constraints without selecting a final design or committing to delivery.
An initial simple station concept includes two platforms, accessible facilities, and modest parking, with an estimated cost range of between £24 - 29 million. A possible location would be the site of the historic Ardley station and its sidings, which closed in 1963.
Any further work would need to include detailed assessments of location, design, costs, timetable integration, environmental impacts, stakeholder engagement, and funding options to support the next stage – a potential strategic outline case.
OxRail 2040 proposes four new stations – Oxford Cowley, Oxford Littlemore, Begbroke and Wantage & Grove – while also exploring the feasibility of a fifth at Ardley.
These schemes will be developed through business case, design and delivery in partnership with the government, the infrastructure manager, operators, developers, commercial partnerships and district councils.
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