ARC Oxford welcomes new era for Cowley Branch Line
ARC Oxford has welcomed the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, confirming £120 million of government funding for the reopening of the Cowley Branch Line.
This represents an important step forward for a project long championed by ARC over the past decade. The reopening of the Cowley Branch Line to passengers will see a new station built on ARC Oxford’s doorstep, making it easier for ARC’s members and their employees to commute to the campus, attract talent and improve connectivity into the capital with direct trains to London Marylebone.
Home to more than 3,000 people across 50 organisations, ARC Oxford has become synonymous with nurturing science and innovation, providing the space and ecosystem for companies to grow while keeping community wellbeing, inclusivity, and sustainability at its core.
ARC Oxford is already realising Brookfield’s £1 billion investment in Oxfordshire, with a series of large developments underway across the campus. The latest project, Ascent a new 105,000 SQF lab and office development, will accelerate innovation, create around 500 jobs and contribute an estimated £38 million GVA to the local economy each year.
By combining new developments, infrastructure improvements with enhanced connectivity from the Cowley Branch Line, ARC Oxford is helping companies like FluoRok attract talent, scale operations, and drive sustainable innovation which has seen the company grow by 175% at the campus.
Jim Stretton, Managing Director of ARC, said: “The Government’s funding for the Cowley Branch Line is a major step forward for Oxford. A new station at ARC Oxford will help our members attract world-class talent and grow their businesses, while strengthening connections between local communities, businesses and research hubs. This decision will support the continued growth of our thriving campus and help ensure Oxford remains a global leader in science and technology.”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said: “Oxford and Cambridge are home to the two of the best universities in the world, two of the most intensive innovation clusters in the world, and the area is a hub for globally renowned science and technology. Yet thanks to years of underinvestment, they still lack the public transport, affordable housing, and infrastructure they need. That changes under this government.
“We have massive ambitions for the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, that’s why we’re reopening the Cowley Branch railway 60 years after it closed, why we’re building more affordable housing and investing in business”
Located in one of the most unequal areas in the UK, ARC Oxford was recently named Responsible Employer of the Year commitment to investing in infrastructure for long-term social mobility including championing the reopening of the Cowley Branch Line to better connect the wider Oxford communities with jobs, investment, and opportunity.
