UK secures £120 million to reopen Cowley branch line near Oxford

The UK government announced shortly before 28 October 2025 that it would provide £120 million (€138 million) to reopen the Cowley branch line to passengers; the line currently carries only freight to and from the BMW Mini plant, and new stations are to be built at Cowley and Littlemore in south-east Oxford. The pledge forms part of a £500 million (€575 million) investment package for the Oxford area; the city council has set aside £3.8 million and a further £35 million must come from local authorities and businesses. The line, closed to passengers in 1962, has to be brought up to current standards, its top speed is to rise from 40 to 80 km/h and a half-hourly service to Oxford is planned. The date is a placeholder: the article gives no exact opening date but expects services to start before 2030 (LOK Report, 28 Oct 2025).