Chiltern Railways selected the contractor for the Evergreen 3 project, which will involve the upgrade of the Banbury to Marylebone main line, the upgrade of the existing line between Bicester and Oxford and the creation of a new link between the Chiltern line and the Bicester to Oxford line.

Subject to planning consents, the project could also link Oxford to the Chiltern main line with a stretch of new railway to be constructed at Bicester to allow new direct passenger services to operate between Oxford and London Marylebone.

Work will be delivered in stages, with the mainline journey time improvements being delivered from 2011.

The new line to Oxford, including Water Eaton Parkway, is expected to open by 2013, subject to Transport and Works Act approval.