A new rail link between Oxford and London Marylebone has been hailed by Network Rail chiefs as a "historic moment" as it opens today.

The company have teamed up with Chiltern Railways on the £320 million project which connects London Marylebone with a new Oxford Parkway station.

Next year (2016) the line is due to be connected to Oxford's city centre station.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who is the MP for Witney in west Oxfordshire, said it was a "historic moment" for the county.

Chiltern Railways have said they expect 250,000 return commuter journeys will be made each year on the new route, which offers an alternative to travelling into the capital via Reading and London Paddington .

The operator said it is the first new link between a major British city and London in more than a century.

The new station in Oxford Parkway has been built with 1,500 parking spaces to tempt motorists to use the service, which reaches London in just under an hour.

Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne said: "By working closely with Chiltern Railways on this part of our railway upgrade plan, we have been able to deliver precisely what its customers want - a much-needed new transport option for Oxford-based business and leisure travellers to London.

"It will also help provide the capacity needed as rail travel is forecast to double over the next two decades."

Chiltern's managing director Rob Brighouse, said: "Passengers are at the heart of every decision we make at Chiltern Railways, which is why we conceived this new line to link London."