Access to Banbury train station (Tramway Road improvements)
Improve the road layout, facilities and connectivity between southern Banbury and Banbury town centre.
Banbury rail station car park reopens
The Banbury rail station west car park has now reopened for use. Commuters and those dropping off passengers can drive into the west car park from the new access route up Tramway Road.
Drivers can also drop off or pick up on Tramway Road or enter the station via Bridge Street and use the drop-off areas at the north and east sides of the station, with the north providing close access to the station front door.
A bus gate, taxi and cyclist-only route is also now in place along Station Approach Road north.
Fig 1. Bus gate and cycleway on Station Approach Road north
Fig 2. Network Rail west car park (Banbury train station)
What you can expect
We are improving access to Banbury rail station for pedestrians, cyclists, buses, and taxis. This project should also improve bus journey reliability into the town centre.
Work so far has involved:
- Extending the northern end of Tramway Road to provide a connection to Station Approach Road and the station surface car park for all vehicles via a roundabout.
- Building a new signal-controlled route for pedestrians, cyclists, and those using public transport from Tramway Road to the station forecourt. This will enable a bus route to potentially serve the station and Tramway Road.
- Providing a new footway along Tramway Road and cycleway from the roundabout to the station, including new pedestrian crossings.
- Building new bus stops and cycle shelters, including cycle ramp access, at the station forecourt and along Tramway Road and Hightown Road.
- Improving car parking and drop-off options, including providing a new all vehicle access to the station west car park from Tramway Road, providing new bays at the station, and a new drop off bay on Tramway Road.
- Provision for disabled bays on both sides of the station.
- Improving lighting, surface water drainage and landscaping in the area.
Drop off and parking options
The west car park reopened in the middle of December, providing access to 118 standard bays, four disabled and three enlarged bays at the back of the station.
Commuters can now drive into the west car park from the new access route up Tramway Road, using the new mini roundabout.
Drivers can also drop off or pick up passengers on Tramway Road.
Station Approach Road north and the station forecourt are now open for drop off and parking with access using Bridge Street. The east-side multi-storey car park is also available.
New signage is in place to inform drivers about designated parking areas and that a bus, taxi and cyclist-only route, restricting standard vehicles from Tramway Road to Bridge Street, is now live along Station Approach Road north.
How can I stay up to date?
This web page will be updated regularly, and we recommend signing up for our county-wide travel and transport bulletin.
Funding
Funding is coming from the Housing and Growth Deal and existing developer contributions.
Contact us
If you have questions, please email tramwayroad@oxfordshire.gov.uk or write to Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford, OX1 1ND, writing “Tramway Road” on the envelope. You can also register your interest in receiving updates about the work.
More information
Why are these improvements needed?
Oxfordshire's local transport and connectivity plan aims to encourage more people to walk, cycle, or take public transport. The redesigned Tramway Road will help make these travel options easier and more attractive by including improvements to pavements and cycle paths.
Bus journey times and reliability to and from the station should also improve, with the addition of new bus stops making bus travel more convenient.
Station visitors, particularly those from the south of Banbury, should find it easier to access station car parking options as congestion will reduce in the immediate area.
Creating a second entrance and exit to the station via Tramway Road also provides an alternative access if there is an incident at Bridge Street.
Will the speed limit change?
We have introduced a 20 miles per hour speed limit across the extent of the scheme.
How do these improvements relate to other changes in Banbury?
With more housing being built in and around Banbury, the station and local road network are forecast to become much busier.
By improving access to the railway station and the town centre, especially from the south of the town, the Tramway Road improvements should reduce traffic and waiting times on Cherwell Street and at the A4260/Bridge Street junction.
The improvements should also make it more pleasant and convenient for people to walk, cycle or take the bus to the station, helping to balance any increase in private vehicle journeys and further reduce congestion in the local area.
The new Canalside area of Banbury will also be better connected with the station and town centre.
Have you consulted on these plans?
In January 2020 we held a public consultation on early proposals, which included a public exhibition and an online survey. All responses were analysed, and the feedback helped us to update our plans during summer 2020. Read the 2020 consultation report (pdf format, 192 KB).
We also held a public consultation on our updated plans from 16 November to 14 December 2021. We reviewed all comments and used them to develop the design further. Read the 2021 consultation report (pdf format, 3.8 MB).
When was planning permission granted?
Following a review of the design in December 2021 a planning application was submitted. Planning permission was granted on 27 October 2022. Throughout the planning process we made changes to the plans based on feedback from key stakeholders such as Network Rail and Chiltern Railway.
How did you decide on the design?
We used planning application feedback, technical assessments and data modelling, safety reports, and a cost review to help us decide on the right design.
We also considered council policies, and reviewed feedback from residents, business owners, cycling groups, Network Rail, Chiltern Railways, town and district councils and the Stagecoach bus company.
We completed the preliminary design in spring 2022 and the detailed design in summer 2024. We also used the findings from trial holes that we dug to investigate the condition of the ground, in spring 2023 and spring 2024.
Design changes were made following unexpected ground conditions and reduced availability of land.