Oxford Corridor Phase 2 & Platform 5 updates

[oxfordrelayer]

Work is going to start sept 2027-

 

[class ep-09]

Work is going to start sept 2027-

Could you elaborate, what works will start September 2027?

 

[oxfordrelayer]

Renewing of the Sheepwash Bridge - so that Platform 5 line can be completed - apologies thought i was reply to the bridge thread

 

[class ep-09]

Renewing of the Sheepwash Bridge - so that Platform 5 line can be completed - apologies thought i was reply to the bridge thread

Ok. Understood .

 

[Edvid]

The May 2026 update was uploaded today, which considering the resident meeting was only yesterday is very quick by NR standards.

SSE have completed the pre-remedial Osney Bridge diversion work, so replacement of the northern footpath and damaged water main can finally commence after nigh-on 5 years.

Projected completion of the groundwater flood defence concrete structure has zigzagged back to 27 June, having been that in the previous update and 10 June in the mid-interval newsletter. The first of three sub-phases within that workstream (under-road base slab and walls) accounts for 90% of the structure's weight and is currently 70% complete.

Works to install the surface water attenuation tank and associated drainage continue with no further slippage this past month.

No recent developments on Phase 2D save for additional surveys of the retaining wall on Roger Dudman Way being scheduled for this summer.

 

[swt_passenger]

“Rail Focus” YouTube channel has uploaded a good summary video of the whole project, covering the reasoning behind decisions to widen and deepen the road etc. Most of us will be aware of most of the background, but it seems to give a good overview of the overall project.

 

[fishwomp]

“Rail Focus” YouTube channel has uploaded a good summary video of the whole project, covering the reasoning behind decisions to widen and deepen the road etc. Most of us will be aware of most of the background, but it seems to give a good overview of the overall project.

"Will this Oxford route reopen?" - what a clickbait title. An inverted example of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge's_law_of_headlines: ""Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no."

 

[cle]

Looks nice and roomy for the P4/5 island and also reasonably sized for the western new entrance... the platform 2 through road is tantalizing... although they may not need quite the same degree of closure/s again, I hope not.

 

[Zomboid]

Looks nice and roomy for the P4/5 island and also reasonably sized for the western new entrance... the platform 2 through road is tantalizing... although they may not need quite the same degree of closure/s again, I hope not.

The road shouldn't need closing (I wouldn't rule out a matter of days, though I don't know what for), but it'll probably need the western entrance too enable the existing entrance to be demolished.

 

[swt_passenger]

The road shouldn't need closing (I wouldn't rule out a matter of days, though I don't know what for), but it'll probably need the western entrance too enable the existing entrance to be demolished.

The future platform 2 bridge was to be built rail capable, the same design as the future P5 bridge. But if the through P2 goes ahead they’ll have to remove the temporary pedestrian deck from it, and add an additional pedestrian bridge. I’d have thought that would only need a very short closure to crane it in, it will be a much lighter and narrower structure, and ought to be fully completed at delivery..

 

[Zomboid]

The future platform 2 bridge was to be built rail capable, the same design as the future P5 bridge. But if the through P2 goes ahead they’ll have to remove the temporary pedestrian deck from it, and add an additional pedestrian bridge. I’d have thought that would only need a very short closure to crane it in, it will be a much lighter and narrower structure, and ought to be fully completed at delivery..

That should be doable in a day with modern techniques. There may be other relatively short closures required associated with demolishing the existing station and building the new one. But nothing affecting road traffic for any significant timescales.

 

[Snow1964]

That should be doable in a day with modern techniques. There may be other relatively short closures required associated with demolishing the existing station and building the new one. But nothing affecting road traffic for any significant timescales.

Might not even need that if the new loop can be used northbound, and existing northbound used instead for southbound trains. Would temporarily lose any terminating facility in through platforms, but shouldn't need a complete closure of the area. The buildings are fairly low so shouldn't really need 4th track away from them closed during demolition.

 

[JamesT]

Might not even need that if the new loop can be used northbound, and existing northbound used instead for southbound trains. Would temporarily lose any terminating facility in through platforms, but shouldn't need a complete closure of the area. The buildings are fairly low so shouldn't really need 4th track away from them closed during demolition.

You might be able to run the through services though just the 4/5 island, but I expect anything using the 1&2 bays is going to have to either be cancelled or carefully inserted into the timetable for the main platforms and somewhere found to turn them.

 

[swt_passenger]

Might not even need that if the new loop can be used northbound, and existing northbound used instead for southbound trains. Would temporarily lose any terminating facility in through platforms, but shouldn't need a complete closure of the area. The buildings are fairly low so shouldn't really need 4th track away from them closed during demolition.

The new P5 line will become the main northbound route, it’s faster over the junctions than the existing P4, you were in the discussion on page 2 of this thread where you’d linked a pdf of a NR brief with the speeds over the points.

I’m not sure if parallel up/down moves are possible at the north end of P4/P5 though, but they’re possible at the south end.

 

[Zomboid]

Might not even need that if the new loop can be used northbound, and existing northbound used instead for southbound trains. Would temporarily lose any terminating facility in through platforms, but shouldn't need a complete closure of the area. The buildings are fairly low so shouldn't really need 4th track away from them closed during demolition.

I was thinking of road closures, but the new arrangements could permit some through trains to run using only the western island during a rebuild of the building and 1/2/3. Terminating trains would be more challenging, but this is moving into speculation territory.

 

[class ep-09]

Deleted

 

[Edvid]

In a curious choice of timing the latest newsletter was sent out on the day of the June 2026 resident update, which was postponed to yesterday after the Met Office issued a red weather warning for extreme heat and uploaded today. Here's the latest...

Works to build the groundwater flood defence concrete structure finished on 30 June, three days after the revised target date; laying the road surface will follow in due course. So that's milestone #8 (formerly #9) ticked off.

The milestone it swapped places with (attenuation tank + connections to drainage system) still has an amber status - float eroded further in last two weeks, still on for target date of 17 July. As with the sewer diversion last year a TBM is in use for microtunnelling.

Pictured above: tunnel boring machine (TBM) in the 12-metre-deep water storage tank shaft, ready to bore a connection to the manhole under the new carriageway

Footway and kerb realignment works at the western end of the worksite were originally scheduled for completion on 19 June but have been considerably delayed owing to blocked drains and existing utilities installed at a shallower depth than they should have been. The newsletter and resident update even have different projections for completion of work areas 1 (2 and 5 July respectively) and 2 (8 and 16 July respectively) despite their publication on the same day; in this case the resident update is correct as it also notes these particular works have been rephased as a result.

It is probably for these reasons the northern walkway finishing works (to commence once the southern walkway opens after enough of the aforementioned works are sorted sometime this month) are now brand new milestone #11, scheduled for completion on 20 September.* Reopening Botley Road to motor traffic is still on for 31 August though NR & OCC will wait until 17 July to confirm with bus operators (who want a 30 August reopening because it's a timetable change milestone) that date will / will not be met.

Here's how the southern walkway and modified footway currently look.

Pictured above: (left) new footway tarmac on Botley Road, near the River Hotel; (middle) newly installed paving slabs on the southern walkway; (right) concrete cladding on the southern walkway walls

Over on Osney Bridge they've demolished the northern footpath and finally removed the damaged water main, only to be confronted with "unforeseen construction arrangements". The bridge structure and parapet supports will be reviewed and replacement pipe supports redesigned before the existing pipe supports are removed. Thames Water are still committing to completing works that require road traffic management by the end of August, at least publicly.

[* 1 September achievable if increased working hours, including night time shifts are permitted]

 

[swt_passenger]

Interesting update @Edvid - a good amount of info there.

 

[Edvid]

An Oxfordshire Connect Facebook update on the walkway works:

From tomorrow (Friday 17 July), the new southern walkway will open and the northern walkway will temporarily close for finishing works.

The new, wider southern walkway runs from Domino’s on Frideswide Square to the Westgate Hotel on Botley Road

Please dismount from bikes and scooters on the walkway

Marshals will be on hand to help

The new, wider southern walkway links Frideswide Square with Botley Road, close to Oxford station.

So that's good news.

In terms of Botley Road reopening, one of the local vloggers spoke to a contractor on site and was apparently told it'll be delayed by a month because the gas main was disturbed during works. There was indeed a gas leak last week (investigated and resolved according to NR) and its impact on the project should be noted in next week's resident update.

 

[Oxfordblues]

In terms of Botley Road reopening, one of the local vloggers spoke to a contractor on site and was apparently told it'll be delayed by a month because the gas main was disturbed during works.

Oh dear! That would seriously jeopardise implementation of the Traffic Filters project, due to launch on 14 September.

 

[Edvid]

Today's Oxford Mail article on the project includes a couple of 'teasers'.

Network Rail is expected to make an announcement next week confirming the date for reopening as August 31 - or possibly one or two days earlier.

If true, this week's resident update may be postponed as well depending on the (as yet unconfirmed) impact of the gas leak on project delivery and any mitigations if needed.

As for Phase 2D, an update may soon be forthcoming...

And a separate announcement is expected, according to one industry insider, about what will now happen with the major scheme to upgrade Oxford station, including the provision of a new western entrance.

 

[Gagravarr]

From today's Oxfordshire Connect newsletter, some bad news

It has been confirmed today that Botley Road in Oxford will remain closed beyond the end of August.

Recently, during excavation work relating to drainage for the new road, three minor gas leaks were identified on part of the gas network, owned by SGN. The pipe has not been damaged by the Network Rail work.

In the interests of safety, and to avoid disruptive and unplanned work to repair potential gas leaks in the future, Network Rail has agreed to accommodate work by gas distribution company SGN to replace a section of their network beneath Botley Road, as well as completing existing Network Rail work.

SGN’s work is essential to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to homes, businesses and the local community. The work will likely take around four-six weeks, and Network Rail is working closely with SGN to confirm a new re-opening date for the road.

Network Rail and SGN are working collaboratively to integrate their programmes, and a further update will be provided as soon as possible.

 

[fgwrich]

From today's Oxfordshire Connect newsletter, some bad news

It never ends…

Whilst I fully understand that combining utility works makes sense while the road is closed and you have access, it does feel like it’s one thing after another unfortunately.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

It never ends…

Whilst I fully understand that combining utility works makes sense while the road is closed and you have access, it does feel like it’s one thing after another unfortunately.

You would have thought with the scale of disruption in the area and the extensive excavations required that all utilities would have been consulted about renewing their assets coincidental with these works.

 

[JamesT]

You would have thought with the scale of disruption in the area and the extensive excavations required that all utilities would have been consulted about renewing their assets coincidental with these works.

That assumes the utilities know where their assets are and the state of them. A large chunk of the delay in this project has been Thames Water working out where their sewer and fresh water supply were and how they could reroute them. Also various electrical and communication cables that took some time to identify the owners.

 

[Zomboid]

The whole problem has come from nobody knowing what was under the road surface, and once you've dug the road up you need to deal with what you find. It's obviously been orders of magnitude worse than anyone expected, but at least it's likely that once it's finished nobody will need to dig it up again for quite some time.

 

[Oxfordblues]

Disappointing, but understandable. There will be the usual suspects demanding that "heads should roll" (what and decapitate the project managers?). More seriously, it means the much-vaunted Traffic Filters will be put-back to October/November.

 

[Edvid]

Network Rail's press release on this latest setback includes the following notes to editors:

The pipe has not been damaged by the Network Rail work.

SGN will be replacing the old, metal pipe with a new longer-lasting plastic one. This will ensure they can avoid disruptive gas leaks in the future and continue to maintain a safe and efficient gas supply to residents, businesses, and the local community.

BIB implies it's not part of the section SGN diverted to help clear the way for bridge foundation works, unlike the damaged Essex and Suffolk water main which has further delayed the full reopening of Gallows Corner junction (including the flyover). In addition, here's a quote of mine from this thread 8 months prior:

Looking beyond the February bridge replacement works, the planned drainage system (including a new surface water flood defence tank) has been redesigned. As a result the associated milestone is 're-sequenced' from 2 April to 17 July 2026, but it also means a reduction in build complexity and - in theory, at least - the likelihood of Botley Road reopening on 31 August 2026 has increased.

My guess is the gas main section not being touched (until now) was a decision based on its relative distance from the originally planned surface water drainage system. The drainage system rescoping (a somewhat recent change to Phase 2C delivery) presumably brought associated works closer to the gas main; NR say the gas leaks are not on them but going by Facebook / newsletter timings they do coincide with microtunnelling getting underway.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jul 2026 ==

There will be the usual suspects demanding that "heads should roll" (what and decapitate the project managers?).

These days heads should roll is a turn of phrase demanding those in charge resign, not an actual demand for medieval capital punishment.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

That assumes the utilities know where their assets are and the state of them. A large chunk of the delay in this project has been Thames Water working out where their sewer and fresh water supply were and how they could reroute them. Also various electrical and communication cables that took some time to identify the owners.

Utilities like NR have been funded for decades by their respective regulators to have a robust asset database. With gas they also need to know what the pipes are made of and if its cast iron they are mandated to be removed by 2032. Its noted above this is a metal pipe but not whether its cast iron. None of this is of NRs making and im sure those that have been involved with the project will be equally frustrated by this latest issue to inflict the project. Im sure with the rest of the project being largely rail infrastructure it will seem like a walk in the park.

 

[The exile]

Utilities like NR have been funded for decades by their respective regulators to have a robust asset database. With gas they also need to know what the pipes are made of and if its cast iron they are mandated to be removed by 2032.

I would imagine they’ve been funded to establish a robust asset database. In some cases this will only be possible by digging everything up and having a look. This whole episode has illustrated the limitations of what can be done from the surface.