Chiltern Railways has announced that a new rail link between London and Oxford will open on 26 October. The £130m line will run from Oxford Parkway, the first new station in the city for 80 years, to London Marylebone.
Oxford Parkway, located north of the city off the A34 near Water Eaton park-and-ride, has been built on the site of the derelict Water Eaton silo, demolished in October 2013. The station is the first to be built in Oxford since 1935.
Rob Brighouse, managing director of Chiltern Railways, said: 'The line will transform travel in Oxfordshire, helping passengers avoid city centre traffic congestion and benefit from more convenient journeys to London via our new stations, Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village station.' He added that the project is the first new rail link between a major British city and London in over 100 years.
The service will run to London Marylebone in less than an hour. Oxford Parkway will have a car park with more than 800 spaces and more than 150 cycle spaces.
The rebranding of Bicester Town station as part of the project has proved controversial, with residents complaining of the undue focus given to the town's shopping outlet.
