New Walkway Opens in Oxford Advancing £231m Botley Road Upgrade

A new four-metre wide walkway linking Botley Road to Frideswide Square has opened in Oxford as part of a £231 million project to upgrade the city station, marking a key milestone in Network Rail's revised plan to reopen Botley Road by the end of August 2026. The walkway offers significantly improved access with more space for pedestrians and cyclists, although cyclists must dismount while using the shared surface until next year for safety reasons. The project, which includes replacing the rail bridge, building a new platform, and creating a new western entrance, aims to support increased services with East West Rail and enhance rail capacity and road safety. Despite repeated delays causing frustration among local communities and contributing to some business closures, such as Courtney Pianos, Network Rail and local officials affirm the project is now on track with the new timeline. Local leaders, including Oxford City Council’s Deputy Leader Anna Railton and Oxfordshire County Council’s leader Liz Leffman, have welcomed the progress, highlighting the benefits for pedestrian flow and overall accessibility. Additionally, the government has allocated an £850,000 fund to provide one-off payments to small businesses impacted by the delays.