Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, she described the meeting with Lord Hendy and Network Rail as “most extraordinary”.

“They produced a slide pack… and the very first slide has one work on it, and it just says ‘sorry’.”

Moran said it was “a good place to start” but “certainly not enough” when it comes to the businesses, the “untold disruption” to people in the vicinity and the impact on the whole county.

“I think it’s fair to say they were very aware of how bad this has got.

“I asked them ‘anywhere in the grand scheme of schemes that have gone wrong, where does this sit?

“To which they said, ‘this is right up there.’

“We had assurances that [the project] will continue and it will get done,” she said.

“But the date they won’t know until January and partly that’s [because they need] Thames Water to come back with their assessment of this pipe.”

The project has been pushed back due to “highly complex” pipework.

Thames Water is working on excavations to find a relocation for a water main connection point.

Other points raised at the meeting were the complications over the historic arch and difficulties diverting utilities under the road.

Moran said she had “pressed hard on the need for support for local businesses, many of whom are struggling and some of whom have already gone under”.

“With the second Christmas of disruption fast approaching, extra support is sorely needed.”

She said the rail minister had assured her he would travel to Oxford in January to meet with key stakeholders and provide a timeline for the works going forwards.

“I welcome their candour,” she said.

“But I don’t think it was until that meeting yesterday that I’d realised, in the grand scheme of things that have ever gone wrong was projects for Network Rail, that this was one that they will remember.”