People in the city were left speculating after a huge plume of smoke was seen rising from the Cowley area in Oxford on Tuesday (March 7) from about 7pm.

The fire and rescue service confirmed that firefighters were called at about 6.45pm on Tuesday to an incident in Oxford Road, Garsington.

READ MORE: Man found dead after major police response at Culham Lock

The large black smoke cloud billows over the city. (Image: Rod Hiles / X)

Black smoke was produced when two cars and a kerosene oil tank caught fire, also damaging the outside of a home on the road.

Firefighters deployed from fire stations in Slade, Woodstock and Kidlington battled the blaze for about three hours to bring it safely back under control.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: “Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was called at 6.46pm yesterday evening, sending fire engines from Slade, Woodstock and Kidlington fire stations to Oxford Road, Garsington.

The large black smoke cloud billows over the city. (Image: Chantelle Gunby / X)

“The incident involved two cars and a kerosene oil tank destroyed by fire, with the exterior of a domestic property also affected by the fire.

READ MORE: Petition calls for progress on Oxford to Cambridge trainline

“Crews wearing breathing apparatus used hosereels to deal with the fire.

“They departed initially at 9.48pm, however, as a precaution carried out a reinspection at midnight.”

Pictures shared of the smoke show it was visible from across city, with one resident in Iffley spotting the incident from their window, with emergency vehicle sirens heard in the distance.

The government has announced an increase to passport fees, which comes into effect from today (April 8).

Here’s what we know about the price increase, including how much adult and child passports will cost.

Passport fees to increase for Brits from April

In its original announcement, the government said the new prices needed to be approved by Parliament as it released the proposed prices.

The government has since confirmed that prices will increase today.

Here are the new prices:

Standard online application:

• For adults – £102 (up from £94.50)
• For children – £66.50 (up from £61.50)

Standard postal application:

• For adults – £115.50 (up from £107)
• For children – £80 (up from £74)

A Premium Service (one day) application made from the UK will cost £239.50, up from £222.

A standard online application that’s applied for from overseas will cost £116.50 for adults (increased from £108) and £75.50 for children (up from £70).

It’s no joke if you lose your passport — especially when you’re about to travel. Keep it safe, and if it’s lost or stolen, report and cancel it as soon as possible to help protect your identity: https://t.co/wDGNdHdlyO #HoldItTight #ZipIt pic.twitter.com/KvFDLS30ec

— His Majesty’s Passport Office (@HM_Passport) April 1, 2026

If you apply from overseas for a new standard passport by post, you can expect the price to jump from £120.50 to £130 for adults and from £82.50 to £89 for children.

Why are passport fees going up?

The government said: “The new fees will help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.

“The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications. 

“The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.”

Recommended reading:

How long does it take to get a new passport?

The government asks Brits to apply for a passport “in good time before travelling”.

It added: “In 2025, where no further information was required, 99.7% of standard applications from the UK were processed within three weeks.”

What do you think of the new passport fees? Let us know in the comments below.

Calls for progress continue to be made by people who are frustrated by the delay to the line’s re-opening to passengers after nearly 60 years, despite construction being completed on the section from Oxford to Milton Keynes in December 2024.

Currently, only freight trains are running on the route which connects Oxford, Oxford Parkway and Bicester to Cambridge, via stations like Milton Keynes and Bedford.

READ MORE: Oxford Speedway clash cancelled amid ‘complex negotiations’

Among the issues which have delayed the official opening of the £7 billion new train line is an ongoing dispute between the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union, which represents train guards and drivers, and East West Rail line operator Chiltern Railways.

A newly launched petition is calling for the Government to ‘end the deadlock’.

Chiltern Railways will operate the new line. Pictured: Oxford Parkway (Image: Oxford Mail)

It said: “The East West Rail Line was due to open last December for passenger services. It’s still not running.

“The Government needs to break the deadlock between Chiltern Railways and unions.

“There needs to be effective negotiation to resolve differences and find a solution. Services need to run urgently.

“People moved to the East West Rail Line corridor for work and to use the train for other reasons.

“Some have lost jobs because of the delay. Others, who expected to take the train, are struggling to battle rush hour traffic to places like Oxford.”

READ MORE: Oxford traffic planter slammed as ‘dangerous’ after incident

Railfuture, a campaign group promoting the expansion and efficacy of rail transport in the UK, said a dispute between the RMT Union and Chiltern Railways over Driver Only Operation is to blame for the delays.

The union said Chiltern Railways wants train drivers to open and close the doors at stations, with no train guards required – something which it has condemned as ‘unsafe’.

David Richardson, spokesperson for the Thames Valley branch of Railfuture, said: “We wholeheartedly support this petition and would urge anyone wanting to see better rail services in Oxford to support it.

Construction on the first section was completed in December 2024 (Image: EWR)

“We have suffered major disruption while the new bridge at Oxford station is put in to support an extra platform and new rail services, yet here we have a restored rail route that is open to freight trains but no passenger services are running.”

He said the petition would be discussed at the campaign groups AGM on May 12 in West Oxford Community Centre.

“Any further delay would be very, very frustrating,” Mr Richardson added.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire stars of Channel 4 show in water referendum call

The RMT Union disputes that the delay has been caused by its dispute with the train operator.

A union spokesperson said: “It is simply inaccurate to blame delays to East West Rail on our dispute when the project has been held back for years by indecision, rising costs and unresolved planning issues.

“The industrial dispute only affects one part of the route and the biggest delays sit squarely with those in charge of managing the project.”

They added delays to the reopening are due to the central section between Bedford and Cambridge still needing to be built, vacancies on the line, issues with the stations which have been built and new railways having to be designed, agreed and approved.

The new line will connect Oxford to Cambridge for the first time in nearly 70 years (Image: Greg Blatchford)

The spokesperson said: “We are opposed to Driver Only Operation because it is vital there is a second safety critical person on board.

“This can include being responsible for door operations but it is a highly varied role, dealing with passengers safety, particularly in emergencies. 

“The guaranteed presence of a second onboard safety critical staff member provides a safer environment and reassurance to passengers particularly women and girls travelling alone. 

“RMT members are committed to delivering a safe and reliable railway, but they will not accept being used as cover for failures in project management.”

A spokesperson for Chiltern Railways said: “Since being announced as operator of the first stage of East West Rail between Oxford and Milton Keynes in March 2025, we have been working at pace to get everything ready for services to begin on the new line.

READ MORE: Oxford police officers restrain machete-wielding drug dealer

“Significant progress has been made, including the hiring and training of 44 train drivers, the creation of a new colleague facility at Bletchley, and the fit out of a new modern station with step-free access at Winslow.

“However, there is work still to finish to prepare the trains, on Winslow station and on the operating arrangements for the new route.

“We are continuing our work on these areas in conjunction with industry colleagues and will provide updates as soon as we are able to.”