Passengers warned to expect busy trains between Oxford and London for several weeks

Sunday, 16 April 2023 08:00

Chiltern Railways has advised customers to expect busier trains than usual between Oxford and London Marylebone from tomorrow (Monday).

Great Western Railway (GWR) is unable to operate any trains between Oxford and Didcot Parkway until the 10 June at the earliest whilst urgent Network Rail repairs to a bridge are taking place. This means that Chiltern Railways will be the sole option for direct rail travel between Oxford and the capital.

As a result, Chiltern Railways services from Oxford, Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village to London Marylebone will be extremely busy. Chiltern Railways has worked hard to increase capacity on this route from Monday 17 April onwards, including adding additional seats and carriages to services where possible.

However, it is expected that these services will still be particularly busy due to the increase in customer demand from GWR and CrossCountry customers at Oxford.

Customers are advised to consider alternative travel routes if possible, such as starting your journey from:

Didcot Parkway for direct services to London Paddington.
Bicester North or Haddenham & Thame Parkway for services to and from London Marylebone.

Stations between Oxford and London Marylebone may also experience additional crowding and some short-term changes to train times due to the ongoing disruption. These include Haddenham & Thame Parkway, High Wycombe, and Beaconsfield.