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Monday 17 Jul 2017

Oxfordshire passengers reminded of service alterations for railway upgrade work

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Passengers are reminded that services will not run between Oxford, Didcot Parkway and Banbury for nine days from Saturday 22 July as Network Rail undertake vital work which will improve will improve line speeds into and out of Oxford when final commissioning is completed in summer 2018.

As part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan, work to realign the track will take place between Hinksey Lakes and Oxford Station.

Buses will replace trains between Didcot and Oxford throughout the nine days. Passengers will be able to travel from Banbury and Oxford to London Marylebone on Chiltern Railway services, which are running throughout the closure, or to London Paddington using the bus replacement service to Didcot Parkway. This will operate from Becket Street car park and will include direct and stopping services.

Chiltern Railways will be running trains from platforms 1-4 from Oxford to London Marylebone and at peak times services will have extra carriages.

Rob Mashford, senior programme manager for Network Rail, said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we undertake this work to improve the railway through Oxfordshire as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.

“We appreciate that there is never a good time to close the railway but we have worked closely with GWR, CrossCountry and Chiltern Railways to ensure minimal impact on passengers throughout this vital work.”

For more information, visit https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/great-western-mainline/oxford/

Residents and passengers with questions or concerns about this work can contact Network Rail’s 24/7 national helpline on: 03457 11 41 41

ENDS