Carterton-Witney-Oxford Rail Corridor (CWORC) Strategic Outline Case - 'Lite' (SOCL)

Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) with West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) wished to understand whether there was a strategic case for a new railway line to connect the towns of Carterton, Witney and Eynsham to Oxford. 

​

Each of these towns is linked to Oxford by only one significant road, the A40, which is highly-congested at peak times.  By 2031, car journeys for the 17 miles from Carterton to Oxford are projected to take nearly 1.5 hrs.  

​

Carterton includes Brize Norton, the UK’s primary military air base for all overseas operations, but the lack of connectivity has a knock-on effect on recruiting staff, and potential housing development is constrained by the lack of transport access.

​

OCC asked Cadenza to prepare a technical feasibility study and Strategic Outline Case – Lite (“SOC-L”) to consider the costs and benefits of connecting the three towns with Oxford using a rail line.

​

The scope included engineering technical feasibility, cost estimation, operational analysis, demand forecasting and the submission of an engineering feasibility report and Strategic Outline Case ‘Lite’. 

 

Cadenza carried out stakeholder engagement to establish local requirements.  We developed a long list of potential station locations connected by a range of potential routes.  These were then sifted to provide a short list of options between each station and evaluated for costs and impacts.

 

The demand forecast and initial timetable work enabled us to develop the likely train service and infrastructure requirements, as well as opportunities for phased delivery.

 

Our outputs included a technical report setting out the range of options and costs, a Strategic Outline Business Case report, and a 2-page summary report that was used for public reporting.

 

We also identified new opportunities to unlock development and regenerate local communities for the long-term sustainability of the three towns and Oxford itself.