Buses are replacing trains between Didcot, Banbury and Hanborough this weekend.

Network Rail is urging passengers to check before travelling on 24 and 25 September, as well as 1 and 2 October as there will be no train services in or out of Oxford, between Didcot, Banbury and Hanborough.

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. 

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

Mike Gallop, Network Rail’s Western route and strategic operations director, said: “The work involved is too big to schedule over night when the railway is closed. This is far from ideal, but we’ve worked with train and bus operators to ensure alternative bus services are available including to Oxford Parkway where trains will still run between London and Oxford.”

 

 

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