We plan to close three level crossings in Oxfordshire to improve safety and increase capacity on the railway.
We have submitted a Transport and Works Act Order for the closure of Tackley level crossing. The Department for Transport has advised that a Public Inquiry will be needed to allow objectors to present their evidence and the date of the inquiry will be confirmed in due course.
To allow everyone to cross the railway, we plan to build a footbridge with lifts at Tackley station. An application for Prior Approval has been approved by West Oxfordshire District Council.
Our plans to close Sandy Lane and Yarnton level crossings are a separate project and remain under consideration. We are committed to closing all three level crossings to allow the benefits of the Oxfordshire Connect programme to be realised.
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Background
The Oxfordshire Level Crossings project is part of Oxfordshire Connect – a joint strategy to transform the railway across Oxfordshire and beyond. It stems from the Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study that was published in 2021. This report assessed the impact of planned growth in jobs and housing on Oxfordshire’s rail system and identified the role that rail can play to support the delivery of that growth.
Commissioned and funded jointly by the Department for Transport and the Oxfordshire Growth Board, the Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study was produced by Network Rail, with oversight from the Growth Board, in collaboration with industry partners and the County and City Councils, to help develop an overarching strategy for rail development.
The Oxford corridor is a key freight route from the port of Southampton to the Midlands and the north. Every freight train removes 76 lorries from our roads so increasing the number of rail freight services is good for the environment but more trains on the line would increase the risk at two level crossings along the route (Sandy Lane and Yarnton).
Our plans
To reduce risk, prevent misuse and improve safety for everyone, these level crossings need to be closed. We also need to implement a permanent solution at Tackley level crossing, which was closed under emergency measures in 2020.
Closing the three crossings would also allow us to provide capacity for an additional two freight trains per hour, additional Birmingham to Oxford services, increased maintenance access and safety improvements.
Options for permanent solutions to close the three crossings are currently being considered with the aim of having all three crossings permanently closed by the end of 2024.
To secure land and consents required for the alternative solutions proposed, Network Rail intends to submit an application for a Transport and Works Act Order to the Secretary of State for Transport.
Key Benefits
- Safety improvements
- Two additional freight train paths per hour, removing HGVs from the roads
- Capacity for additional Birmingham to Oxford services, improving journey opportunities
Level crossing locations
Tackley Transport and Works Act Order
Following the public consultation in 2023, an application for a Transport and Works Act Order was submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport. The Department for Transport has advised that a Public Inquiry will be needed to allow objectors to present their evidence and the date of the inquiry will be confirmed in due course.
Network Rail’s Statement of Case and associated documents for the Tackley Level Crossing Order are available below and a hard copy of the Statement of Case may be inspected free of charge at Woodstock Library, Fletchers House, Park St, Woodstock, OX20 1SN. The library is open on the following days and times:
- Monday – closed
- Tuesday – 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00
- Wednesday – 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00
- Thursday – 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00
- Friday – 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00
- Saturday – 10:00 to 12:30 and 13:00 to 16:30
- Sunday – 14:00 to 17:00 (unstaffed)
Tackley Transport and Works Act Order application documents
Statement of Case documents
Frequently asked questions
Get in touch
If you would like any further information, please email oxfordlevelcrossings@networkrail.co.uk