Oxfordshire’s leading bus and rail operators support plans for a new football stadium to help grow public transport usage in the county.
Oxford Bus Company, Stagecoach and Chiltern Railways described Oxford United’s proposed new stadium as “a great opportunity” to grow sustainable travel and enhance active travel options for the community.
Oxford United’s proposal presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to provide a new home for sport, entertainment, business, community, education and tourism which the whole county can be proud of.
The design includes a 180-bed hotel and what would be the largest conference and event space in Oxfordshire, to enhance the county’s national and international appeal. Economic studies have found the stadium would make a large positive contribution to the Oxfordshire economy, with more than £32M generated per year.
The proposed new stadium would be located on land known locally as The Triangle, opposite Oxford Parkway rail station near Kidlington.
Managed by Chiltern Railways, Oxford Parkway rail station operates services seven days a week providing connectivity to Oxford, High Wycombe and London Marylebone. Chiltern Railways are working with Oxford United on plans to increase rail capacity and upgrade passenger facilities for the proposed development.
The station is also home to one of Oxford’s largest Park & Ride sites, providing high-frequency local bus connections to take people into the heart of the city.
Combined, the pre-existing rail, bus and coach network, which will be enhanced on matchdays, will provide visitors to the new stadium with a variety of active travel options.
Earlier this year Oxford United and Chiltern Railway worked together to provide football fans with rail travel to Wembley Stadium to watch the club win promotion to the Sky Bet Championship. Additional rail services and staff were deployed on the day enabling an estimated 11,500 football fans to comfortably pass through Oxford Parkway.
Tony Baxter, Operations Director, of Chiltern Railways said: “The proposed Oxford United stadium provides a significant opportunity to grow public transport usage on matchdays. We’re working with the Department for Transport to increase the number of trains we operate across our network, which would provide us with the additional capacity needed to serve the stadium on matchdays, whilst also delivering our normal timetables.
“We’re also working closely with Oxford United to review improvements to customer facilities at Oxford Parkway. These could include creating queuing systems, improving walking and cycling access to the station and enhancing customer facilities such as toilets and waiting shelters.”
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company, said: “Oxford Bus Group wholeheartedly supports the new stadium proposal.
“The venue would be in a more sustainable location than the existing site due to its proximity to existing high-frequency bus routes, two Park & Ride sites and Oxford Parkway rail station.
“We’re working closely with the club on how we would enhance the ever-growing matchday bus shuttle services we currently operate. This has been highly effective at the Kassam Stadium and we would increase the service at the Triangle. It is a great opportunity to provide more active travel options for people and transform how they visit the stadium into sustainable modes.
“Moreover, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Oxfordshire to create something truly special for the community. The conference centre would be a game-changer for Oxfordshire’s tourism sector, which is vital to the local economy.”
Chris Hanson, Managing Director, Stagecoach West, said: “This proposal is an incredibly exciting prospect for the City of Oxford and the county. The new location provides a natural hub for the community to access the fantastic facilities at the new stadium in a sustainable, environmentally conscious way.
“We already provide a range of high frequency services in the area; linking the City Centre, Kidlington and Bicester to Banbury Road and Oxford Parkway and are excitedly working with the club on how we could ensure that more people can travel sustainably to the proposed new stadium.
“Looking at the plans from a sporting, hospitality and business point of view, the proposed new stadium will boost these economies which can only be a good thing for jobs, opportunities and growth in the area. We fully support the new stadium proposal.”