THE rail link between Oxford and Bicester will close down after Valentine’s Day next year.

The news means commuters will have to take a bus down the A34 for around 18 months while a £130m link between Oxford and London Marylebone is built.

Graham Cross, business development director at Chiltern Railways, said: “We’ve been working hard to provide a dedicated rail replacement bus service to meet passenger demand.

“We’re looking forward to starting construction work so that we can begin operating services from Oxford to London in 2015.”

The last train between Oxford and Bicester will run on February 14, after which buses will run along the A34, stopping at Islip.

Passengers can now check their bus and rail replacement journeys in Chiltern’s online booking system – at chilternrailways.co.uk – and printable versions will be available in the next couple of weeks.

The timetable has been produced following a consultation earlier this year but could be subject to minor alterations between now and February.