New Oxford - Bristol direct service, ongoing developments and discussion

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

Only one of those it seems will call at Didcot - the one that states that it does - otherwise the others would too.

So on its own, it won't release a turbo.

Regardless, it would need to operate several more trips a day to release a Turbo anyway.

[GWR 158]

Hi all,

Found an interesting article stating that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are planning to run direct IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - the now official name for the replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) services from Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford via Didcot Parkway. I have attached the article below. What does everyone think about these plans? I think it would be very beneficial for passengers travelling down from Bristol and stations in between and it would be an effective way to get more people using the rail network.

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/24035352.new-direct-swindon-oxford-trains-planned-great-western-railway/?ref=fbshr&fbclid=IwAR3DWWG1r_EqrqsTeDZZ_LZPwC9zfPCtj1kZ0JM-eWcXYxGsFakbBaXq9CU

Thanks all,
GWR 158

[grahame]

Hi all,

Found an interesting article stating that GWR are planning to run direct IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - the now official name for the replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) services from Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford via Didcot Parkway. I have attached the article below. What does everyone think about these plans? I think it would be very beneficial for passengers travelling down from Bristol and stations in between and it would be an effective way to get more people using the rail network.

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/24035352.new-direct-swindon-oxford-trains-planned-great-western-railway/?ref=fbshr&fbclid=IwAR3DWWG1r_EqrqsTeDZZ_LZPwC9zfPCtj1kZ0JM-eWcXYxGsFakbBaXq9CU

Thanks all,
GWR 158

Yep, I have moved a couple of things around and merged that with a topic that started a couple of days ago "Across the  West" to keep all the discussions together.  This board is probably the right one for it - it's so long since we had this much-wanted service that it had go into the  more general place!

[CyclingSid]

Will it be flood proof?

[IndustryInsider]

Will it be flood proof?

Kennington (south of Oxford) hasn’t shut for flooding since alleviation works were carried out some years ago.  The route to Bristol via Box does close for flooding occasionally but is nowhere near as vulnerable as the route via Chipping Sodbury.

[grahame]

Interesting to see Swindon, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads all in the top 15 ticketed passenger flows from Oxford http://www.passenger.chat/flows.html?stn=3115 . Chippenham is in the top 50 too.  Really a good flow considering the Didcot Dance that has to be done to make these journeys.

[CyclingSid]

Really a good flow considering the Didcot Dance that has to be done to make these journeys.

Certainly busy on Saturday with Reading playing at Oxford, almost got trampled as the herd migrated between platforms.

[ChrisB]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) confirm that the services to which this thread refers are *not* stopping at Didcot & are all using the west curve. In both directions.

Being run with a 5car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - the now official name for the replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) GWR said yesterday.

[TonyK]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) confirm that the services to which this thread refers are *not* stopping at Didcot & are all using the west curve. In both directions.

Being run with a 5car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - the now official name for the replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) GWR said yesterday.

That is helpful, and very interesting.

[grahame]

Bristol to Oxford through trains start on 14th September, Autumn Saturdays only.

10:18 from Bristol Temple Meads calling at Bath Spa, Chippenham and Swindon (10:58) and arriving Oxford 11:29

15:18 from Bristol, same calls, arriving Oxford at 16:31

Return services from Oxford at 12:03 and 17:12, same calls as outward journey

[ChrisB]

Current Advance fares available either way @ £12.50 Standard, £32.65 1st class.
OPDR Standard £32.10, SOPR Standard £50.40, OPR 1st Class £144.90 (Ouch)

[Mark A]

It's Bristol - Bath - Oxford - Bicester and then turn right that strange things used to happen with the fares system. Fine to Bicester and then a, er, non-linear adjustment as the fares system hadn't caught up with the changes to the network. Hopefully something that will be sorted for East West Rail.

Mark

[ChrisB]

I think that is still a problem, isn't it? Look up Oxford - High Wycombe & see if it isn't priced via Paddington/Marylebone still.

[grahame]

Very tempted to try it out on 14th September - or perhaps on some other Saturday.   Now from Melksham:

Melksham - 10:09
Chippenham - 10:19 - 10:44
Oxford - 11:29

ah - fond memories of giving training course in Oxford, though obviously outbound on the 07:20 (the only choice - next train was 19:47) and back at 19:20 (only train from Swindon after the 06:20)

Homeward

Oxford - 17:12
Chippenham - 17:57 to - oops
Melksham  - 20:08

Still very tempted ...

[Mark A]

Last time I headed to Oxford, it was with a bike.

The connection just missed at Didcot, which shaved an hour off the time at my destination, which involved a change at Oxford, a Chiltern train to Bicester, and a somewhat convoluted cycle into the countryside east of the town.

On arrival there, among other things, I hovered for some time by the main road at Finmere on that cool April day, watching a digger chew away at Finmere station's cream-glaze-faced brick stair well wall. Also, stripped by the contractors of its enshrouding vegetation, the GCR^» (Gloucester - next trains) embankment, the trains it once carried would have been exposed to all sorts of winds and weather, climbing north to the station at its characteristic 1:176 gradient. It must have been a fun location to handle a slip coach operation.

The station site, perched on its embankment, is destined to become a substantial cutting for HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) with a road over rail bridge on a slightly different alignment replacing the somewhat dramatic twin rail over road bridges. By the time the new line opens and carries trains, the likes of slip coaches at Finmere will be a distant memory indeed.

Mark