34. Trip to Oxford-26.05.18

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2018 > 34. Trip to Oxford-26.05.18
Whilst my wife and son undertook some 'extreme' retail therapy at Bicester Village I took the opportunity to sample the newly opened double-track to Oxford on one of Chiltern's 165 units. I took my trusty Bertie Brompton bike so I could get around north Oxford and bag some HST shots. Initially, it was a grey and humid day but as I headed back, the sun came out - typical!
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Images 1-22 of 22 displayed.

165005, CH 10.44 Oxford-London Marylebone (1Y17, 2L), Bicester Village station With the Bicester Village car park in the background, 165005 draws into the station working the 10.44 Oxford to London Marylebone. This station, the track, the ballast, the infrastructure and just about everything is all new! This line has gone through a massive upgrade, partly in preparation for its extension to Claydon Junction, Bletchley and beyond as part of reinstating the Varsity Line. Keywords: 165005 1Y17 Bicester Village station
168326, CH 10.06 London Marylebone-Oxford (1T21, 7L), Bicester Village station 168326 arrives into Bicester Village (formally Town) station forming Chiltern Railway's 10.06 London Marylebone to Oxford working. Dominating this view is the huge footbridge containing full sized lift towers to accommodate the huge numbers of shoppers who use this station that has its own dedicated entrance in to the Bicester Village complex. I travelled on this train to Oxford with my Brompton bike folded up. Despite being a mid-morning Saturday working the train was absolutely packed. Keywords: 168326 1T21 Bicester Village station
Class 221, XC 10.38 Leamington Spa-Bornmouth (1O10, 2L) & 165107, GW 11.18 Oxford-Oxford Up Carriage Sidings ECS (5L24), Oxford station On arrival at Oxford, the station was very busy! The class 221 working Cross Country's 10.38 Leamington Spa to Bournemouth was full and standing. At least there was plenty of room on 165107 as it was an empty coaching stock to the carriage sidings. Keywords: Class 221 1O10 165107 ECS 5L24 Oxford station
168106, CH 11.11 Oxford-London Marylebone (1Y20, 4L), Oxford station 168106 has the RA at Oxford and prepares to depart woking the 11.11 to London Marylebone. Oxford station is hopelessly ill-equipped to deal with the number of passengers who pass through it. This situation is not going to improve when (if ever?) the Varsity line re-opens bringing more footfall. Keywords: 168106 1Y20 Oxford station
165107, GW 11.18 Oxford-Oxford Up Carriage Sidings ECS (5L24) & Rewley Road swingbridge 165107 has run round and is returning to Oxford station as the 5L24 ECS ready to work back to Didcot Parkway. In the foreground is Rewley Road swing bridge, a well known feature here next to the Sheepwash Channel, a tributary to the Oxford Canal. Robert Stephenson designed and constructed the swing bridge in 1850. It was re-built again twice, lastly when steel girders were included. The bridge is now a scheduled structure and there have been numerous, but so-far unsuccessful, bids to restore it. Keywords: 165107 ECS 5L24 Rewley Road swingbridge
Former LNWR Rewley Road swing bridge Rewley Road swing bridge was last used in 1984 when freight services were withdrawn from the spur of the former LNWR line that led to Rewley Road station just a short distance from the present Oxford station. This scheduled structure was supposed to have been restored in 2012, but so far, nothing has happened. This process is now looking urgent given the condition of the structure that is over 100 year's old. Keywords: Rewley Road swing bridge
43159, stabled, Oxford Carriage Sidings, Walton Well Bridge Taken from Welton Well Bridge just north of Oxford station 43159 sits awaiting its next duty. 43159 was a late delivery to the Eastern Region during early 1981 that became part of set 254036 but it never carried that set number in service. It looks like the power car has been in collision with some poor creature. Notice, the recently constructed student accommodation in the background, I think that the jury is out on its aesthetics! Keywords: 43159 Oxford Carriage Sidings Walton Well Bridge
166107, CH 10.35 London Marylebone-Oxford (1T23, 2E), Walton Well Bridge Chiltern Railways 166107 drifts in to Oxford past Walton Well Bridge about to complete its journey, the 10.35 from London Marylebone. Whilst the livery of these units is bright compared with many, against a dark background on a dull day, such as this, it does create some contrast issues for the camera to deal with! Keywords: 166107 1T23 Walton Well Bridge
165101, GW 10.18 London Paddington-Evesham (1W02, 12L) & 43159, stabled, Oxford Carriage Sidings, Walton Well Bridge Great Western 165101 leaves Oxford working the 1W02 10.18 London Paddington to Evesham service. It is passing 43159 stabled in the west siding just north of Oxford station. The picture is taken from Welton Road Bridge, a location busy with pedestrians and cyclists coming in and out of Oxford. Keywords: 165101 1W02 43159 Oxford Carriage Sidings Walton Well Bridge
165137, GW 11.08 Banbury-Reading (2V29, 2L), Walton Well Bridge Great Western Turbostar 165137 slows for its stop at Oxford working the 11.08 Banbury to Reading. Whilst this view from Welton Road bridge looks to be and essentially rural scene it is, in fact, within Oxford city. Keywords: 165137 2V29 Walton Well Bridge
66526, 05.27 Leeds FLT-Southampton (4O90), Walton Well Bridge The heavily loaded 05.27 Leeds to Southampton Freightliner headed by 66526 'Driver Steve Dunn (George)' slows down against adverse signals as it approaches Oxford taken from Walton Road bridge. This working was held for quite sometime just north of Oxford station as the other traffic around it was given priority. It only proves again how inadequate the layout and capacity is at Oxford. Freightliner named this 66 after their driver who was tragically killed in the Great Heck crash in February 2001. Keywords: 66526 05.27 Leeds FLT-Southampton 4O90 Walton Well Bridge
220032, XC 09.47 Bournmouth-Leamington Spa (1M38, 1L) & 43159, stabled, Oxford Carriage Sidings, Walton Well Bridge Framed by two of Oxford North's giant new multiple aspect signals 222032 leaves the city forming the 09.47 Bournemouth to Leamington Spa. I don't know what it is about the size of the new structures that are being erected but some of the infrastructure does seem to be excessively big with some very 'hard engineering' being utilised. Keywords: 220032 1M38 43159 Oxford Carriage Sidings Walton Well Bridge
221124, XC 11.38 Leamington Spa-Bournmouth (1O12,5L) Godstow Bridge Cross Country 221124 approaches Godstow Bridge just north of Oxford working the 11.38 Leamington Spa to Bournemouth. Due to engineering works in the Coventry and Birmingham areas, all services were terminating and starting from Leamington Spa with the dreaded 'bustitution' for the hapless passenger. Keywords: 221124 1O12 Godstow Bridge
800019, GW 11.45 Moreton-in-Marsh-London Paddington (1P43, RT), Godstow Bridge 800019 working the 11.45 Moreton-in-marsh to London Paddington passes Godstow Bridge on the northern outskirts of Oxford. On the right can be seen the reinstated relief line that still has yet to open some years after the area was cleared and it was laid. As can be seen the weather was still very grey and overcast creating an incredibly flat light. However, it was very warm and there were signs things were about to improve. Keywords: 800019 1P43 Godstow Bridge
165135, GW 11.23 Reading-Banbury (2M28, 1L), Godstow Bridge Still in First Group's blue livery, 165135 leaves Oxford forming the 2M28 11.23 Reading to Banbury. Great Western's trains to Banbury are about as far north as they get. The trains offer a stopping service between Banbury and Oxford that no other operator does. Keywords: 165135 2M28 Godstow Bridge
43042 & 43125, GW 10.25 Evesham-London Paddington (1P40, 87L), Godstow Bridge A mixed combo HST drifts into Oxford past Godstow Bridge. Led by 43042 with 43125 on the rear, the 10.25 Evesham to Paddington service was already very late here, finally arriving at its destination almost and hour and a half adrift. Little did I know that the next time that I would see the rear power car, 43125, two weeks later, it would have been de-branded and taking a set of stock for storage through the county of Rutland! Keywords: 43042 43125 1P40 Godstow Bridge
66508, 08.50 Crewe Basford Hall-Southampton (4O49), Godstow Bridge Going at a walking pace, 66508 passes Godstow Bridge north of Oxford heading the 08.50 Crewe Basford Hall to Southampton Freightliner working. This 4O49 was fairly lightly loaded on this day as can be seen in this picture. There were some hints of an improvement in the grey weather with some breaking of the flat cloud to the west. Also, it had become very humid. To the left in this picture to new relief line can be seen. Despite it having been laid for quite sometime now, it has still yet to be commissioned. With the cancelling of the electrification to Oxford, I wonder if it will now be put to use? Keywords: 66508 4O49 Godstow Bridge
220029, XC 10.47 Bournmouth-Leamington Spa (1M42, RT), Godstow Bridge With the detritus of the track work in the foreground associated with the reconstruction of the relief line 220029 accelerates away from Oxford past Godstow Bridge. It was working the 10.47 Bournemouth to Leamington Spa, a service that was terminating in the Warwickshire town due to engineering works in the Coventry area. Keywords: 220029 1M42 Godstow Bridge
165116, GW 11.18 London Paddington-Evesham (1W29, 19L), Godstow Bridge 165116 passes Godstow Bridge forming the 11.18 London Paddington to Evesham. All trains on the Cotswold Line were starting from and terminating at Evesham due to engineering works over the bank holiday weekend. Notice the fresh ballast and stack of track panels associated with the relaying of the relief line north of Oxford. Unfortunately, some years after the process was started, it has yet to be finished and commissioned. Keywords: 165116 1W29 Godstow Bridge
168005, CH 12.06 London Marylebone-Oxford (1T29, 2L), Oxford Parkway station Finally, the sun had managed to break through the blanket of grey cloud that had dominated the day just as I was leaving to get back to Bicester! I rode my bike the short distance to the new Oxford Parkway station in order to catch my return train from there. Whilst waiting, 168005 arrived with the 12.06 Marylebone to Oxford. This station has proved to be a great success, as can be seen in this image, passenger numbers are healthy so the investment in it seems to have been well spent! Keywords: 168005 1T29 Oxford Parkway station
168325, CH 13.11 Oxford-London Marylebone (1Y29, 4L), Oxford Parkway station On a day of full dull the sun chooses to come out just when I didn't want it to! 168325 comes to a halt at Oxford Parkway station forming the 13.11 Oxford to London Marylebone. I took this train the short distance to Bicester Town/Village station to meet my wife and son who had been hard spending money! The quality of the ride on the newly laid track was very good, the 165 was suitably quiet and I think that this new route will prove to be a great success. Keywords: 168325 1Y29 Oxford Parkway station
Tickets, Bicester Village-Oxford-Bicester Village The return tickets from Bicester to Oxford, £6.40 for an O/P return. Whilst this is a reasonable fare it is more than the competing bus service but is quicker and undoubtedly a better quality of service.

Images 1-22 of 22 displayed.