The rail infrastructure company is in charge of a £161m project to revamp the city’s rail station.

This led to the closure of the Botley Road at the rail bridge in April last year.

READ MORE: Anger as Network Rail dodges key questions 

It was due to reopen this month but there have been delays on the project and now there is no end date and a review of entire scheme is under way.

In July, Network Rail contractors Kier rerouted a walkway for pedestrians in Frideswide Square, as a result of ongoing work, which means very few people now walk past the shops and restaurants.

(Image: Network Rail) Amanda Suliman-Bell, who runs Rainbow & Spoon cafe, complained that footfall had fallen by 90 per cent since the diversion, which guides pedestrians away from the south side of the square.

Now Network Rail says it is planning to restore the original walkway in about a month’s time.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “We fully understand the urgency of restoring the walkway on the south side of Frideswide Square and also the criticality of the weeks running up to Christmas for all retailers.

READ MORE: First look inside new town centre pub

“Works are currently ongoing by other parties, including Openreach, and we are urging Kier to do all it can to reopen the walkway as soon as possible.

(Image: Andy Ffrench) “Although the walkway can’t open immediately, owing to the ongoing works, it should be possible in around a month’s time. This should then allow five weeks of improved footfall in the run-up to Christmas.

“There are further excavation works, up to six weeks in duration, that need to be carried out on the south side of Frideswide Square but this won’t be undertaken until January so that pre-Christmas footfall is not further impacted.”

Earlier this month Mrs Suliman-Bell said she feared she would have to shut the store if the original walkway was not restored in the near future.

She emailed Network Rail and contractors Kier urging them to restore the original pedestrian walkway as soon as possible.

(Image: Andy Ffrench) She said in her email: “I have lost 90 per cent of my footfall since you changed the walkway over on July 1 – with absolutely no warning, no announcement, no hint and zero thought as to how it might impact those businesses on the south side of Frideswide Square – indeed the only side of the square where there are businesses.”

She added: “A simple solution (reinstating the walkway) would save all our businesses in the run up to Christmas.

“I personally make 50 per cent of my annual turnover in these three months.

“I can see absolutely no reason why this cannot happen – it would just take a bit of thought and the moving of a piece of machinery. The pathway is pretty much there already.”

Uni Food & Wine near Rainbow & Spoon has also complained about a reduction in customers.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.