Network Rail has appointed architect Hawkins\Brown, working with 5th Studio, to develop a long-term masterplan for Oxford station, including proposals for new entrances, improved passenger facilities and better connections with other transport modes.
image: Network Rail
The appointment is intended to address forecast growth in passenger demand and prepare the station for new rail services, including East West Rail.
The masterplan will cover approximately 12 acres of railway land around the station. Network Rail will lead the project in collaboration with its property development company Platform4, Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council.
Network Rail said Oxford station currently handles more than eight million passengers a year, with around 24,000 customers using it daily. Peak passenger demand is forecast to double by 2036, driven by East West Rail, proposed services to Cowley and Bristol, and wider growth in the city and region.
The masterplan will take a transport-led approach, considering future rail capacity and interchange requirements alongside opportunities for supporting development.
Its priorities include creating a station capable of accommodating future demand, improving the station's entrances and providing better connections for onward journeys.
The proposals envisage a new main eastern entrance alongside the western entrance already committed as part of the existing station enhancement programme.
Tom Pierpoint, industry programme director at Network Rail and Great Western Railway, said the appointment was an important step towards improving the passenger experience and providing the capacity and connectivity needed as demand grows.
The design team will review future capacity requirements and how the station and its surrounding transport links are used by passengers, visitors and the local community. A programme of public and stakeholder engagement will follow.
The project is separate from Network Rail's existing Oxford station enhancement programme, which includes a western entrance and improvements to the Botley Road corridor. The wider masterplan is intended to complement those works and support the station's longer-term role as a regional transport interchange.
Oxford City Council leader Susan Brown said the station needed to evolve to accommodate growing passenger numbers, including those expected from the proposed reopening of the Cowley branch line.
The masterplan will also consider how the surrounding railway land could support the city's economy and development ambitions. Platform4 interim chief executive Andrew Ferguson said there was an opportunity to explore how the land could contribute to local growth alongside improvements to the station.
Hawkins\Brown and 5th Studio have previously worked on transport and infrastructure projects including Stratford station, St Pancras International and East West Rail.
East West Rail services are expected to begin serving Oxford in 2029.