Eynsham logo

Eynsham park and ride

About Eynsham park and ride

The 850-space park and ride, located on the A40 eastbound, will help improve congestion on the A40 and provide regular and reliable public transport services into Oxford. A new roundabout will make it easy to access from either direction on the A40.

Users will benefit from 24-hour security, dedicated cycle storage, public toilets and electric vehicle parking bays. The site will be accessible 24 hours a day and is designed for easy use with dedicated access and exit routes.

Improved bus and cycle lanes on the A40 will also make the journey into the city quicker.

An image showing what the completed site should look like after five years of landscape maturity.

Why we are investing here

The proposals to address traffic and transport issues on the section of the A40 between Witney and Oxford will result in better transport links, the creation of new jobs and housing, reduced emissions, and more sustainable travel options. 

The park-and-ride provides an attractive and more sustainable alternative to the car. By significantly improving the reliability, frequency and connectivity of public transport services into Oxford from the west, we’re able to reduce congestion levels, improve air quality and provide improved journeys for those travelling to Oxford for both work and pleasure.

The rationale for a park-and-ride location at Eynsham

The proposed park and ride combines existing bus services to/from Eynsham, Witney and Carterton as well as new services to deliver high-frequency bus services offering direct connections to a range of destinations in and around Oxford.  The location at Eynsham is appropriate as it offers the most cost-effective solution for all.  In comparison, siting the park and ride at Witney would require a greater number of buses to serve the network and would therefore be considerably more expensive to provide the same level of service.

Population from a wide catchment will have access to the facility and private vehicle trips can be intercepted before the most constrained and congested sections of the A40. 

Residents of Eynsham and Cassington will benefit from the service improvements planned once the park and ride and bus lanes are in place and will be able to access A40 services from new bus stops facilities with real-time information.

How the park and ride will contribute to the management of traffic along the A40

The park and ride on weekdays is expected to be used primarily during the morning peak period with modest arrivals and departures throughout the day and empty through the evening peak It is estimated the available capacity is sufficient to attract up to a third of the current total peak vehicle per direction.  This will reduce the current day general traffic volumes east of Eynsham significantly compared with no park-and-ride in place.

In addition to car parking capacity, the park and ride site is planned to operate as a multi-modal hub linking other travel modes with buses.  Cyclists (and increasingly e-bikers), on-demand and community transport service passengers will also use the site to interchange with other modes for onward travel.

Where we are now

An aerial shot of the construction site in July 2024.

As of July 2024, construction and landscaping at the site have been completed.

We have now secured funding from Homes England to deliver the A40 Eynsham Park and Ride to Wolvercote, a scheme that will connect the park and ride to the A40, provide new bus lanes and improvements to active travel infrastructure between the park and ride and Wolvercote.

How to get in touch

We will update this page regularly with our progress. If you have any questions about this project, contact the delivery team. You can also contact our Highways Enquiries team by calling 0345 310 1111 if you have a concern about something you have seen in the area.

Timetable of activity
Activity Target date
Detailed design start (park and ride) July 2021 - Complete
Full business case submission to Department for Transport (DfT) May 2021 - Complete
DfT funding approval  Late 2021 - Complete
Pre-construction works Late 2021 - Complete
Detailed design complete Mid 2022 - Complete
Construction starts - park and ride Autumn 2022 - Complete
Construction ends - park and ride Autumn 2024 - Complete
Park and ride begins operation 2027

How it is being funded

The scheme is funded from a variety of sources:

  • Department for Transport retained Local Growth Fund - £35m
  • Housing Growth Deal - £12m
  • Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership - £3m
  • S106 contributions - £1.5m

The anticipated cost of this programme is £51.275m

This funding contributes to delivering the eastbound bus lane within the integrated bus lanes scheme.

More information

When will construction start and end?

Site clearance occurred in October 2022, and construction started in January 2023. As of June 2024, major construction work and site-wide landscaping have been completed.

Why did you finish the park and ride ahead of the bus lane and the connection?

The park and ride and the A40 improvements programme (including the bus lanes) were on course to be delivered simultaneously until late 2022. 

At this time, it became clear that cost pressures caused by high inflation affected our ability to deliver the improvement programme within the available budget. 

To avoid further cost inflation, we chose not to delay the construction of the park and ride, which has a ring-fenced budget separate from the improvements programme. 

We have now secured funding from Homes England to deliver the A40 Eynsham Park and Ride to Wolvercote, a scheme that will connect the park and ride to the A40, provide new bus lanes and improvements to active travel infrastructure between the park and ride and Wolvercote. 

How are we making the site safe?

The site is fenced off with Heras temporary fencing. Where access to the road will be provided, hoardings and a vehicle gate will be installed.

When do you plan to open the park and ride? 

The first phase of the A40 Eynsham Park and Ride to Wolvercote scheme will deliver the connection that will enable the park and ride to begin operation by early 2027. 

Do you have a plan for the site during the 3-year wait?

We have investigated a variety of interim uses for the site in advance of it becoming fully operational. But our focus right now is to deliver the connection to the A40 and the bus lanes to make sure the park and ride is made operational for the benefit of residents and motorists along the A40. 

What are the costs of building and maintaining the park and ride? 

The park and ride cost £32m out of the £51m budgeted for the Science Transit (ST2) scheme, which included the park and ride and an eastbound bus lane. The eastbound bus lane and the connection now form part of the A40 Eynsham Park and Ride to Wolvercote scheme. 

Following the completion of the permanent landscaping at the Eynsham park and ride, ongoing site maintenance is being provided as part of the existing delivery contract. It is important to note that the council is not incurring any additional costs on this maintenance, as the construction contract covers it.