Work to bring Chiltern Railway services into Oxford railway station could be delayed following changes to the project. The work was given permission in 2012 but cannot proceed until Oxford City Council discharges condition 19 over the impact of noise and vibration to nearby homes. Network Rail has moved the location of a set of points away from the property but there have been delays getting this change implemented.
Local residents have expressed concern about the report submitted by the Independent Noise Assessor and the council/local residents have asked for lower line speeds/noise fencing to mitigate noise. In addition, traffic volumes are expected to substantially increase with the introduction of East-West Rail.
This will not impact the delivery of the route to Oxford Parkway, which will open on 26th October.