Oxford station - facilities, improvements, parking, incidents and events - merged posts

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

Rail passengers advised to check before using rail services to Oxford at weekends from 10 September to 2 October
Region & Route: Wales & Western | Wales & Western: Western

Network Rail is urging passengers to check before travelling and to plan ahead, with four consecutive weekends of disruption to train services due to start this weekend.

Over the following four weekends – 10 and 11, 17 and 18, 24 and 25 September, as well as 1 and 2 October – there will be no train services in or out of Oxford, between Didcot, Banbury and Hanborough.

During this time, there will be regular buses operating between Didcot Parkway, Oxford station, Oxford Parkway, Banbury and Hanborough. On 10, 11 and 18 September buses will also go onto Leamington Spa. Rail passengers will also be able to use their train tickets on the following local bus services:

2 between Kidlington, Oxford Parkway and Oxford (Stagecoach)
7 between Woodstock, Oxford Parkway and Oxford (Stagecoach)
Connector X2 between Didcot and Oxford (Oxford Bus Company)
City X3 between Abingdon, Didcot and Oxford (Oxford Bus Company)
Connector X32 between Wantage, Didcot and Oxford (Oxford Bus Company)
S3 between Charlbury, Oxford Parkway and Oxford (Stagecoach)
S4 between Banbury and Oxford (Stagecoach)
Passengers wanting to travel directly between London and Oxford can use the Chiltern Railways service that operates between Oxford Parkway and London Marylebone. There will also be regular trains to Bicester from Oxford Parkway. A regular bus service will also be operating between Oxford Parkway and Oxford city centre.

The industrial action announced for 15, 17, 26 and 27 September will also severely disrupt train services, with no services at all on some lines. Passengers should check with the relevant train operator before travelling.

Network Rail has been working closely with its train operator colleagues and partners including the city and county councils, universities, and businesses to ensure passengers are still able to get to their destinations and to help reduce disruption as much as possible.

Over the coming four weekends, Network Rail’s team of engineers will be working to on the railway to create three high-speed crossovers, allowing trains to switch tracks - at Oxford North Junction (between Walton Well Road and Aristotle Lane bridges). This is the first part of Network Rail’s  £161m redevelopment of Oxford station and railway that will see the station expanded with an additional platform and track, and a new western entrance. The three new high-speed crossovers will enable the additional train services for Oxford that are part of this plan.

All travel information and details of the plans for Oxford station can be found at networkrail.co.uk/oxfordphase2

...continues

Source: Network Rail

[ChrisB]

Shame the park & ride buses appear to be excluded from that list above!

[grahame]

Shame the park & ride buses appear to be excluded from that list above!

There might have been logical to include the S6 bus to Swindon

[ChrisB]

Shame the park & ride buses appear to be excluded from that list above!

The service 7 is apparently the Park & Ride Bus from Oxford Parkway. It's been combined with the service to Woodstock.

There might have been logical to include the S6 bus to Swindon

Hmm. I suspect the RRS/Fast service to Didcot plus the train is still quicker than the S6...

I have had it confirmed that you can alight or join these services in & around the city centre, and do not need to travel to the vacinity of the station (unless that's where you are headed)

[ray951]

More updates from Network Rail https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/oxfordshire/oxford-corridor-phase-2#upcoming-work

Including the news that Botley Road is likely to be shut for the whole of 2023 to vehicle traffic except for emergency services.

[paul7575]

This must be one of the most consulted and well documented works proposals I’ve ever followed in te forum.

With real work starting next week we must soon be at the stage where the local paper will run scary headlines with a few people objecting on the basis they didn’t know… 

Paul

[ChrisB]

It'll be interesting to see how they cope with the loss of the popular park & ride in Botley. Or whether the bus will take a diversionary route.

[ray951]

Presumably the bus will terminate on the west side of the station, passengers will get out and walk to the other side of the station and, if necessary, get on another bus.

[ChrisB]

It could happen, but turning the bus around will be difficult. Mill Street will remain open, but not really suitable for buses

[didcotdean]

The Oxfordshire CC statement says: "it is planned that buses will operate to either side of the closure so those on through-journeys will need to do a short walk and change buses."

[ChrisB]

Do you have a link for that please?

[Richard Fairhurst]

Oxford Clarion report: https://twitter.com/OxfordClarion/status/1587063276395020291

OCC statement: https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/plans-for-botley-road-closure/

[ray951]

It could happen, but turning the bus around will be difficult. Mill Street will remain open, but not really suitable for buses

If the cafe at the bottom of Roger Dudman Way is being closed then there could be room to turn buses around there, and they may of course be able to use part of Botley Road as well.

[ChrisB]

Thanks for the links above.

When talking to the planning engineer from Keir at the last drop-in event, he referred to turning minibuses around, rather than single/double deckers with shuttles of these running from the park & ride. The road will need to be shut well before Roger Dudman way as that area is the first to be redesigned to allow access to it while work then continues elsewhere.

NR^» (Network Rail - home page) is promising further detail in the middle of November with further drop-in sessions. WE'll need to await that info methinks to get a full picture.

[IndustryInsider]

I must admit I'm surprised Oxford City Council are prepared to allow such a long full closure of Botley Road to cars.  They cycle and footpath routes are going to be very busy!