Oxford Corridor Phase 2 & Platform 5 updates

[Geogregor]

Article from New Civil Engineer explaining some details of works so far:

Delivering the delayed Oxford station bridge replacement before and during the 8-day blockade | New Civil Engineer

Replacement of the bridge over Botley Road in the centre of the city is a key part of the Oxford Station upgrade being delivered by Kier and Network Rail.

www.newcivilengineer.com

 

[djox]

Today marks 3 years since Network Rail closed Botley Road in Oxford to build a new Botley Road Bridge, splitting the city in two. It has been calculated to have cost £237.4million so far.

Article from Oxford Mail
The three-year long closure of Botley Road in Oxford for work to improve the railway station has cost £237m to date, according to Network Rail bosses.

Botley Road three-year closure has cost millions

The three-year long closure of Botley Road in Oxford for work to improve Oxford railway station has cost £237m to date, according to Network Rail…

www.oxfordmail.co.uk

 

[Oxfordblues]

"Splitting the city in two" is classic Oxford Mail hyperbole. I can cycle from West Oxford to the city centre in 20 minutes via Sustrans Route 5; Botley Road is much less polluted and safer for cyclists; and those addicted to their cars can easily drive into town by following diversions via Wolvercote or Redbridge.

 

[rmHawk765]

Now if they could wire the line at the same time...

Wasn't this postponed (or at least any very early plans were put away) because the station being expanded/rebuilt would 'need' to be done first?

Edit: Has already been mentioned in this thread.

 

[cle]

They should throw it a birthday party - highlight how laughable the project has been. At least usage hasn't yet spike due to EWR! More incompetence.

And the staging of this project is equally pathetic. Imagine not being able to build out the platform, or the roads on the bridge. Wires - beyond the realms of reality.

This city is one of our brightest stars...

 

[fishwomp]

"Splitting the city in two" is classic Oxford Mail hyperbole. I can cycle from West Oxford to the city centre in 20 minutes via Sustrans Route 5; Botley Road is much less polluted and safer for cyclists; and those addicted to their cars can easily drive into town by following diversions via Wolvercote or Redbridge.

I'm with you on this. Practically, Botley Road was a mess of traffic - and at Christmas time it was nigh on impossible on a Saturday to get from the A34 to, say, the station or the industrial estates on Osney because of jams (often going all the way to the Westgate car park). All that traffic has been gone for 3 years! It's far easier and more pleasant to drive to the far-end Botley Road shops from east Oxford now (via the ring road, only, of course now).

As for cycling, not a fan of having to stop and push, but it's fair exchange for the upcoming improved underpass, the road wasn't wide enough.

 

[Wyrleybart]

This city is one of our brightest stars...

Yay the city of learning - along with Cambridge of course.
Do they teach large scale civil engineering ?

 

[swt_passenger]

Yay the city of learning - along with Cambridge of course.
Do they teach large scale civil engineering ?

I guess they won’t need to, given the number of rent-a-quote councillors and members of the public who are already highly trained civil engineers.

 

[Kingham West]

When it’s finished, and the industry can progress EWR, more containers from Southampton , Wantage Grove, Witney, Cowley , and doubling to Hanborough, all the moaners, will vanish.
Just like they vanished after the Elizabeth Line was completed.
The sums are big , but the economic benefits will be bigger.

 

[Edvid]

NR have changed the newsletter & presentation URLs yet again so all associated links posted earlier in the thread are (re)broken.

As of the March 2026 monthly update...



The revised order of post-January 2025 Phase 2C milestones is now properly shown following the resequencing of surface water attenuation tank works.



The chart above illustrates the current schedule of outstanding activities within Phase 2C, including construction of the west retaining wall south of the bridge. Note that northern walkway finishing works (to commence after the southern walkway opens) are now set to continue beyond the highway reopening, which a recent OC Facebook post essentially confirms:

A Staggered Reopening for Walkways: We are constructing dedicated new routes for cyclists and pedestrians. The southern walkway is set to be fully completed and open in Summer 2026. Once this is open, the current northern walkway will temporarily close for its own final stage of works, which will continue through the autumn

Pictured above is a diagram of how the groundwater concrete structure is being installed, starting with the base slab as shown on the right.

Last Friday My World Through a Lens filmed the works again and it looks like at least most of the base slab is in place; hopefully installation of the surface water attenuation tank and associated drainage will begin shortly as well.

Over on Osney Bridge SSE completed their pre-diversion activities and they're planning to divert cables from Tuesday, so their works are currently scheduled to finish on 1 May.

 

[swt_passenger]

Can one of our experts please explain a ‘groundwater flood defence concrete structure’? Is that basically a waterproof floor to stop the entire works flooding from below, rather than the opposite problem of collecting rain from above? (I’ve looked at the linked NCE article in post #721.)

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

When it’s finished, and the industry can progress EWR, more containers from Southampton , Wantage Grove, Witney, Cowley , and doubling to Hanborough, all the moaners, will vanish.
Just like they vanished after the Elizabeth Line was completed.
The sums are big , but the economic benefits will be bigger.

For sure but its another negative against the rail industries ability to deliver projects to time and budget that stalls other projects progressing is the downside.

 

[Kingham West]

For sure but its another negative against the rail industries ability to deliver projects to time and budget that stalls other projects progressing is the downside.

I agree, it’s disappointing, we got Reading Remodelling for £700m , this bridge with associated works is £236m.
Explaining that to a young Treasury official ticker , who had no interest in rail , is a bit tricky .

 

[J s]

Can one of our experts please explain a ‘groundwater flood defence concrete structure’? Is that basically a waterproof floor to stop the entire works flooding from below, rather than the opposite problem of collecting rain from above? (I’ve looked at the linked NCE article in post #721.)

Rather sounds like something to stop flooding when the water table level rises during prolonged rainfall periods. If it’s mitigation, it might include something like doubling up the floor slab to include a cavity drainage layer between + inclusion of sump’s and active drainage pumps. You could could conceive of some dam like features like sheet pile walls to stop water flow. I suppose it depends how bad the problem is and how close the water table is to the surface now they’ve lowered the road. Hardly an expert though!

 

[swt_passenger]

Rather sounds like something to stop flooding when the water table level rises during prolonged rainfall periods. If it’s mitigation, it might include something like doubling up the floor slab to include a cavity drainage layer between + inclusion of sump’s and active drainage pumps. You could could conceive of some dam like features like sheet pile walls to stop water flow. I suppose it depends how bad the problem is and how close the water table is to the surface now they’ve lowered the road. Hardly an expert though!

Sounds like enough for my needs!

 

[fandroid]

Can one of our experts please explain a ‘groundwater flood defence concrete structure’? Is that basically a waterproof floor to stop the entire works flooding from below, rather than the opposite problem of collecting rain from above? (I’ve looked at the linked NCE article in post #721.)

I can't get at the main text of the article, but I can explain the challenges that groundwater will present to those designing the Oxford works.

The site is in a low-lying area of the floodplain of the Thames. Almost certainly the local geology will be porous sands, gravels etc. That means that there will be plenty of groundwater at the site, and it will rise and fall in level roughly in line with river levels.

They'll have basically created a watertight concrete box to carry the road and the bridge foundations. One of the engineering design challenges for such a box in a high groundwater area is how to stop it floating! That might sound unlikely for a heavy concrete structure, but it's a serious risk. The simplest way to stop that is to add heavy concrete to the structure, above the point where the highest water level would reach. Below that level the extra volume would also contribute to the structure's buoyancy.

I'm assuming that buoyancy in groundwater is the issue being described. It may not be, but it's still a serious design issue that will have to have been addressed in that location.

 

[takno]

I can't get at the main text of the article, but I can explain the challenges that groundwater will present to those designing the Oxford works.

The site is in a low-lying area of the floodplain of the Thames. Almost certainly the local geology will be porous sands, gravels etc. That means that there will be plenty of groundwater at the site, and it will rise and fall in level roughly in line with river levels.

They'll have basically created a watertight concrete box to carry the road and the bridge foundations. One of the engineering design challenges for such a box in a high groundwater area is how to stop it floating! That might sound unlikely for a heavy concrete structure, but it's a serious risk. The simplest way to stop that is to add heavy concrete to the structure, above the point where the highest water level would reach. Below that level the extra volume would also contribute to the structure's buoyancy.

I'm assuming that buoyancy in groundwater is the issue being described. It may not be, but it's still a serious design issue that will have to have been addressed in that location.

IIRC this is also the reason for the original "inverted arch" which caused so much trouble in the earlier stages of the project.

 

[coppercapped]

I agree, it’s disappointing, we got Reading Remodelling for £700m , this bridge with associated works is £236m.
Explaining that to a young Treasury official ticker , who had no interest in rail , is a bit tricky .

Just to put this in context, the remodelling at Reading took place around 15 years ago and the completed station was opened by the late Queen in the summer of 2014. Inflation in the meantime means that prices and costs have increased by some 80%.

That £700 million would be around £1,200 million today.

 

[cle]

Imagine if something of that scale could be done at Oxford to holistically rebuild - option to shift all lines, roads, and islands. And create a respectable station building. You'd likely have two islands, maybe one through freight road still - and a side / bunch of bays. It would actually feel fitting of the place. Reading is far busier, but for its status, Oxford station is pretty humdrum.

And most crucially, a cohesive singular project vs all these incremental add-ons. Cambridge has been the same.

In any case, this feels like a shockingly bad value scheme for what we are getting - given the core of it (ROW for the bridge roads) - is basically done.

 

[zwk500]

Imagine if something of that scale could be done at Oxford to holistically rebuild - option to shift all lines, roads, and islands. And create a respectable station building. You'd likely have two islands, maybe one through freight road still - and a side / bunch of bays. It would actually feel fitting of the place. Reading is far busier, but for its status, Oxford station is pretty humdrum.

There's several different configurations that could be developed, but I suspect anything would keep 2 non-platform roads to give standage for the full-length freight trains. However, that's for the speculation section.

 

[Zomboid]

What isn't speculation is that provision has been made to extend platform 2 to a through line (it was part of the initial design and the abutments look ready to take a deck on that alignment), which would give 4 through platforms and a north facing bay as well as the non platform lines. That will require a new station building that could give Oxford the kind of "gateway" that befits its status.

 

[zwk500]

What isn't speculation is that provision has been made to extend platform 2 to a through line (it was part of the initial design and the abutments look ready to take a deck on that alignment), which would give 4 through platforms and a north facing bay as well as the non platform lines. That will require a new station building that could give Oxford the kind of "gateway" that befits its status.

Correct. And yes, Network Rail have confirmed directly that the bridge abutments have been future-proofed for platform 2 to be extended.

But it's not a Reading-Level rebuild, which would likely look to provide 3 islands (an Up, Terminating, and Down) with through tracks for freight between them, and Oxford North Grade-separation (among other improvements). Although it could also look to provide 5 through platforms on the east side with 2 freight tracks to the west, and reconfigure the lines to Wolvercote Jn to paired by use. It's this 'what could it look like' question that I was commenting would be for the speculative section.

 

[Zomboid]

I think any kind of rebuild of the main bridge is going to be off the table for quite some time after this project!

 

[The exile]

I think any kind of rebuild of the main bridge is going to be off the table for quite some time after this project!

Though presumably lifting in and fixing an extra deck onto abutments already prepared for it could be done over something like a Xmas possession with only a couple of days closure of the road underneath. Rail- related “business” on top wouldn’t necessarily affect the road.

 

[Mikey C]

Though presumably lifting in and fixing an extra deck onto abutments already prepared for it could be done over something like a Xmas possession with only a couple of days closure of the road underneath. Rail- related “business” on top wouldn’t necessarily affect the road.

I doubt anyone will ever trust Network Rail time predictions again!

 

[zwk500]

Though presumably lifting in and fixing an extra deck onto abutments already prepared for it could be done over something like a Xmas possession with only a couple of days closure of the road underneath. Rail- related “business” on top wouldn’t necessarily affect the road.

The Deck for the future Up Loop is already in place. NR are putting the footbridge on it for the meantime, while the council try to get their statement/gateway footbridge. AIUI from the public engagement info, NR would basically only need to come in and move the handrails for the bridge to be ready for track laying. It's probably a little bit more complicated than that, it always is.

 

[Zomboid]

The Deck for the future Up Loop is already in place. NR are putting the footbridge on it for the meantime, while the council try to get their statement/gateway footbridge. AIUI from the public engagement info, NR would basically only need to come in and move the handrails for the bridge to be ready for track laying. It's probably a little bit more complicated than that, it always is.

That was the initial plan, but the last time I looked there wasn't a deck on the abutments. Might have changed since, but it was only a couple of weeks ago.

 

[zwk500]

That was the initial plan, but the last time I looked there wasn't a deck on the abutments. Might have changed since, but it was only a couple of weeks ago.

NR imagery shows something between the abutments for both Platform 2 and Platform 5:

Drone Friday 6 February new bridge spans in place DJI 20260206100750 0004 W

Information for journalists, press, bloggers and the media about Network Rail. Contact the press office to receive news, updates, press releases, videos, pictures, and factsheets, and to arrange interviews, filming and photography

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

I'm not an engineer so if this doesn't count as a deck then apologies.

 

[fishwomp]

The Deck for the future Up Loop is already in place. NR are putting the footbridge on it for the meantime, while the council try to get their statement/gateway footbridge. AIUI from the public engagement info, NR would basically only need to come in and move the handrails for the bridge to be ready for track laying. It's probably a little bit more complicated than that, it always is.

Well, they would need to install a replacement deck for the pedestrians, but that would be an easier job

 

[zwk500]

Well, they would need to install a replacement deck for the pedestrians, but that would be an easier job

Well, that's what they're hoping the council will do before they need it. I quoted from the planning documents in post 703: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...latform-5-updates.235423/page-24#post-7666882