OxBio Hub has welcomed the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, confirming that the Government will provide full funding of £120m towards the reopening of the Cowley Branch Line to passengers.
The decision represents a significant enhancement to transport connectivity, benefiting the OxBio Hub community as well as Oxford’s wider innovation district. The project will reconnect Cowley and Littlemore with Oxford city centre and beyond through the addition of two new stations.
Angus Bates, Director of GreyArc Investments and owner of OxBio Hub, said: “The reopening of the Cowley Branch Line is fantastic news for us at OxBio Hub and the wider Oxford innovation community. Located on the Cowley Ring Road and approximately only 400 metres from the new station, OxBio Hub will directly benefit from the improved transport links, for our tenants and visitors to the city and beyond. Enhanced accessibility is essential for supporting sustainable growth, and this development will further strengthen Oxford’s position as a world-leading centre for science and technology.”
The reopening of the Cowley Branch Line will improve access to jobs, reduce congestion, support Oxford’s most disadvantaged communities, and help deliver sustainable, inclusive growth. It is expected to bring far-reaching benefits across the city and region — cutting congestion, lowering carbon emissions, unlocking thousands of new homes, and supporting up to 10,000 jobs. Passenger forecasts suggest nearly one million return journeys each year once operational.
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.”
OxBio Hub is the full refurbishment, reuse, and extension of Building 2700, transforming it into a self-contained innovation campus delivering high-quality, future-ready CL2 lab and office space from 4,000 sq.ft to 88,324 sq.ft, which can be customised to meet occupiers’ needs. Strategically located on the Cowley Ring Road, with excellent connectivity to Oxford’s universities, research hospitals, and talent pool, OxBio Hub provides essential grow-on space for university spin-outs and a relocation option for companies seeking to remain at the heart of Oxford’s innovation ecosystem.
For further information about OxBio Hub and viewing opportunities, please contact the appointed agents, Benedicts: Christian Vecchione on 07950 032904 or [email protected]; or Tom Vecchione on 07807 791328 or [email protected].
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For photographs and more information, please contact: Marie Parkinson, OJI Marketing Ltd on: 07463994834 or [email protected].
