The Secretary of State for Transport gives notice under section 14(1)(b), (2A) (3A) and (3AA) of the Legislation: Transport and Works Act 1992 (“the Act”) that he has determined under section 13(1) of the Act to make with modifications the Chiltern Railways (Bicester to Oxford Improvements) Order (“the Order”).

The Order was applied for by The Chiltern Railway Company Limited (“Chiltern”), of Western House, 14 Rickfords Hill, Aylesbury, Bucks HP20 2RX . It will authorise Chiltern to carry out works to the railway between Oxford and Bicester and to construct a new length of railway to connect the Oxford-Bicester line to the Bicester-London line, so as to enable through trains to run from Oxford station to London Marylebone station. Copies of the Order, once made, may be obtained from the Stationery Office or through booksellers.

The Secretary of State has, pursuant to section 14(1)(a) of the Act, given notice of his determination by way of a decision letter dated 17 October 2012, copies of which may be obtained from the TWA Orders Unit, Department for Transport, General Counsel’s Office, Zone 1/18, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 4DR . That letter gives the reasons for the determination and the considerations upon which it is based; information about the public participation process; and information regarding the right to challenge the validity of the determination and the procedures for doing so.

The Secretary of State confirms that, before making this determination, he considered the environmental statement provided by the applicant and all objections and other representations relating to it, and that he otherwise complied with the obligations referred to in section 14(3A) of the Act. For the purposes of section 14(3AA), he confirms that the main measures to avoid, reduce and, if possible, remedy any major adverse environmental effects are those referred to in paragraph 38 of the decision letter.

Martin Woods, Head of the TWA Orders Unit, General Counsel’s Office, Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 4DR