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Work to begin on Tramway station access as project costs shoot up to nearly £16m
18/09/2024
The cost of the scheme has doubled since its inception
Work will begin to create a new entrance to Banbury Train Station from Tramway this autumn, but costs of the project have spiralled up to nearly £16m.
Yesterday Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet approved a further £5.445m for the project. They had already agreed an extra £3.6m of funding back in March. The cost of the scheme has doubled since its inception in 2021.
Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Development Strategy, Councillor Judy Roberts, revealed that the project had encountered a number of problems, including the presence of asbestos.
The scheme aims to improve access to the station and better connect southern Banbury and the town centre. An alternative route will be built linking Tramway Road with Station Approach 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.
Its hoped the changes will also reduce traffic at the Bridge Street junction.
Councillor Roberts 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.”
Construction is expected to take about one year.
Money for the project is coming from developer contributions and Growth Deal funds. This is a £215m pot of cash from the government in return for the county’s councils agreeing to build 100,000 new homes between 2011 and 2031.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
Tommy On 18/09/2024 at 12:49 pm
During construction how will the businesses behind the tramway, accessible through the single lane road currently, be accessed?
Jilith On 19/09/2024 at 4:53 am
At what point will Oxfordshire County Council improve the pedestrian/cycle access at the front of the station? Temporary barriers keep moving, it gets no safer to cross and the dropped kerbs are next to useless. Has anyone considered how hard it is to access the station on wheels from its current entrance??