Oxfordshire County Council has commissioned rail development, financing and delivery specialists SLC to produce a key document that will build the case for a new railway station in Wantage and Grove, a growing part of Oxfordshire that has been without a direct rail service since 1964.
After a competitive tendering process, SLC was selected to create the Strategic Outline Case (SOC) for the proposed station. This document will look at its case across strategic, market, economic, and operational dimensions, taking into account the substantial population growth in the region in recent years. The SOC will also explore various options for delivering the station.
Ian Baxter, Director at SLC, said: “We’re excited to be appointed to this project, which aligns with our experience in early-stage feasibility work for new stations. We’ve been involved in designing, building and operating stations across Britain and are passionate about the positive economic and environmental impacts such projects have for local communities and regional connectivity.”
Oxfordshire County Council is leading on the promotion of the station and will be working closely with Network Rail, Great Western Railway (GWR) and Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils to progress any plans.
SLC will also be supported by AECOM on this work and it is expected to be published by the end of September 2025.
