Tuesday 5 Oct 2021
East West Rail installs ‘railway first’ footbridge in Bicester
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central
- | North West & Central: Central
An innovative and near maintenance-free footbridge has been installed in Bicester to make crossing the railway safer for pedestrians and cyclists in future.
Made from super-strong fibre-reinforced plastic*, the new footbridge replaces Jarvis Lane footpath level crossing.
It’s the first new footbridge to be opened as part of the East West Rail project – which when completed will connect Bicester to Bletchley and Milton Keynes for the first time in 50 years**.
The weatherproof material has never been used by Network Rail for footbridge construction before and it will need much less future maintenance than conventional materials steel or concrete.
Mark Cuzner, East West Rail Alliance project director, said: “Building a new railway is extremely exciting and it’s only right that East West Rail uses the latest materials and technology to get the job done.
“Most importantly, replacing Jarvis Lane level crossing with this new footbridge will make crossing the tracks safer for cyclists and pedestrians now, as well as saving money on costly maintenance in the future. The opening of this footbridge also reinstates the public right of way over the railway benefitting both local people and businesses in the town.
The paths leading to the footbridge have been resurfaced and new footpath signs have been installed.
The bridge also features steel channels at the side of the staircases so bicycles can be walked across instead of carried.
The new footbridge means the pedestrian level crossing at Jarvis Lane is now closed.
This is part of Network Rail’s plans to eliminate safety risks by removing level crossings where possible to create a safer railway for the future.
Notes to Editors
*It’s the very first fibre-reinforced polymer footbridge to be installed on the railway by Network Rail. The material is weather resilient and significantly low maintenance compared to conventional steel and concrete.
** About the East West Rail project
East West Rail intends to create a new direct connection between Oxford and Cambridge. Serving communities across the area, it intends to bring faster journey times and lower transport costs as well as ease pressure on local roads.
East West Rail is planned to be delivered in three Connection Stages:
- Connection Stage One: Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes
- Connection Stage Two: Oxford to Bedford
- Connection Stage Three: Oxford to Cambridge
Network Rail was responsible for developing the first part of the East West Rail, connecting Oxford with Bicester, and is a partner in a construction alliance to deliver Connection Stage 1 of the project, where East West Railway Company (EWR Co) and Network Rail are acting as the Department for Transport’s joint sponsors.
EWR Co is now developing the route to enable services to run to Cambridge via Bedford and plans to seek statutory powers under the Planning Act 2008, following a period of extensive consultation.
About East West Railway Company
East West Railway Company (EWR Co) was set up by the Secretary of State for Transport in 2018 to develop East West Rail, a railway with customers and communities at its core.
Its mission is to innovate and challenge the status-quo in the rail and construction industries, leading to a more efficient and cost-effective project delivery, and a great experience for passengers and the communities we serve. East West Rail Company's vision is the delivery of a safe and secure railway that is better for the customer; cheaper for the taxpayer; delivered quicker than before and is greener for the environment.
East West Rail Company's distinctive outlook and commitment to doing the right thing for customers and local communities runs through everything it does and every decision it makes.
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Network Rail press office - North West & Central Region
07740 782954
NWCmediarelations@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk