Oxford to Bicester Line
Encyclopedia
The Oxford to Bicester Line is a branch line
linking Oxford
and Bicester
in Oxfordshire
, England
.
, which in 1879 became part of the London and North Western Railway
. In the grouping of Britain's railways in 1923
the L&NWR became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
, and in the nationalisation of Britain's railways in 1948
the LMS became part of British Rail
ways. Both the LMS and BR ran passenger services between Oxford and Cambridge via the Buckinghamshire Railway, Marston Vale Line
and Bedford and Cambridge Railway. This led to the Oxford - Cambridge route being informally called the Varsity Line
.
In 1967 British Rail
ways withdrew Oxford - Cambridge services and closed the section of line between Oxford and Bletchley
. In 1987 Network SouthEast
restored passenger services on the Oxford - Bicester Town railway station
section on the initiative of Oxfordshire County Council
. In 1988 Network SouthEast rebuilt and reopened Islip station
, again with Oxfordshire County Council support.
Since 2005 an enhanced service including Sunday services has run during the weeks before Christmas, mainly for the Bicester Village Shopping Centre
adjacent to Bicester Town station. An enhanced service was operated on the weekend of 12 and 13 May 2007 to celebrate the 20th anniversary since the section of line re-opened.
In May 2009 a partnership between First Great Western
and Oxfordshire County Council
rebranded and relaunched the line as The Bicester Link.
, who took over from First Great Western
on 22 May 2011. Since December 2008, Oxfordshire County Council has been funding improvements to services on the line. The service on Mondays to Saturdays was improved with an evening service and a doubling of the number of trains on Saturdays. From May 2009, there were further improvements with extra trains during the daytime on Mondays to Fridays and a new all-year round Sunday service, with a train every 90 minutes. There are now 11 trains from Mondays to Thursdays, 12 trains on Fridays, 13 on Saturdays and nine on Sundays.
Speeds on the line are limited to 40 mph (17.9 m/s) because of the poor condition of the track, and 25 mph (11.2 m/s) on the wooden bridge over the River Ray
.
On 22 May 2011, Chiltern Railways
took over all passenger operations on the line. This is in advance of the new London Marylebone to Oxford service which is due to start in 2013.
via High Wycombe
by 2012. As part of this project Chiltern Railways would double most of the line, build a new Water Eaton Parkway
passenger station to serve Kidlington
and north Oxford and open the short 'missing-link' from Bicester Town station to the Chiltern Main Line
. This would give Oxford an alternative to First Great Western's rail link to London Paddington
and provide Oxford with a direct rail-link to High Wycombe for the first time since British Railways closed the Princes Risborough
- Oxford section of the Wycombe Railway
in 1964.
This work is one element of the East West Rail Link which would see a new 100 mph (44.7 m/s) service linking Oxford with Milton Keynes
, Bedford
and possibly also Cambridge
.
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
linking Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Bicester
Bicester
Bicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
The line was opened in 1850 as part of the Buckinghamshire RailwayBuckinghamshire Railway
The Buckinghamshire Railway was a railway company in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England that constructed railway lines connecting Bletchley, Banbury and Oxford...
, which in 1879 became part of the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
. In the grouping of Britain's railways in 1923
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
the L&NWR became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
, and in the nationalisation of Britain's railways in 1948
Transport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...
the LMS became part of British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways. Both the LMS and BR ran passenger services between Oxford and Cambridge via the Buckinghamshire Railway, Marston Vale Line
Marston Vale Line
The Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
and Bedford and Cambridge Railway. This led to the Oxford - Cambridge route being informally called the Varsity Line
Varsity Line
The Varsity Line is an informal name for the railway route that formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated successively by the London and North Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and British Railways...
.
In 1967 British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways withdrew Oxford - Cambridge services and closed the section of line between Oxford and Bletchley
Bletchley railway station
Bletchley is a railway station that serves the southern districts of Milton Keynes , and the north-eastern parts of the Buckinghamshire district of Aylesbury Vale....
. In 1987 Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
restored passenger services on the Oxford - Bicester Town railway station
Bicester Town railway station
Bicester Town is the smaller of two railway stations serving the town of Bicester in Oxfordshire. The larger is . Bicester Town station is miles north-east of . It is operated by Chiltern Railways.-History:...
section on the initiative of Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council, established in 1889, is the county council, or upper-tier local authority, for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire, in the South East of England, an elected body responsible for the most strategic local government services in the county.-History:County Councils...
. In 1988 Network SouthEast rebuilt and reopened Islip station
Islip railway station
Islip railway station serves the village of Islip, Oxfordshire, England. Islip is north-east of Oxford. Services run south to away and north-east to .Islip is served by Chiltern Railways using Class 165 Diesel Multiple Units.-History:...
, again with Oxfordshire County Council support.
Since 2005 an enhanced service including Sunday services has run during the weeks before Christmas, mainly for the Bicester Village Shopping Centre
Bicester Village Shopping Centre
Bicester Village Shopping Centre is a designer outlet centre in Bicester in the English county of Oxfordshire, for several high-end brands, including Ted Baker, Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, Charles Tyrwhitt, Aquascutum, Gieves & Hawkes, Gucci, Dior, Bally and Prada, as well as housing a small...
adjacent to Bicester Town station. An enhanced service was operated on the weekend of 12 and 13 May 2007 to celebrate the 20th anniversary since the section of line re-opened.
In May 2009 a partnership between First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
and Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council, established in 1889, is the county council, or upper-tier local authority, for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire, in the South East of England, an elected body responsible for the most strategic local government services in the county.-History:County Councils...
rebranded and relaunched the line as The Bicester Link.
Current services
Passenger services are operated by Chiltern RailwaysChiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
, who took over from First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
on 22 May 2011. Since December 2008, Oxfordshire County Council has been funding improvements to services on the line. The service on Mondays to Saturdays was improved with an evening service and a doubling of the number of trains on Saturdays. From May 2009, there were further improvements with extra trains during the daytime on Mondays to Fridays and a new all-year round Sunday service, with a train every 90 minutes. There are now 11 trains from Mondays to Thursdays, 12 trains on Fridays, 13 on Saturdays and nine on Sundays.
Speeds on the line are limited to 40 mph (17.9 m/s) because of the poor condition of the track, and 25 mph (11.2 m/s) on the wooden bridge over the River Ray
River Ray
The River Ray is a river in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England. It rises at Quainton Hill and flows west through a flat countryside for around 25 km or 15 miles. It passes the village of Ambrosden and then flows through Otmoor...
.
On 22 May 2011, Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
took over all passenger operations on the line. This is in advance of the new London Marylebone to Oxford service which is due to start in 2013.
Future plans
Evergreen 3
In August 2008 Chiltern Railways announced Project Evergreen 3 to create a new passenger service between Oxford and London MaryleboneMarylebone station
Marylebone station , also known as London Marylebone, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It stands midway between the mainline stations at Euston and Paddington, about 1 mile from each...
via High Wycombe
High Wycombe railway station
High Wycombe railway station is situated in High Wycombe in South Buckinghamshire. The station is served by Chiltern Railways trains on the Chiltern Main Line from Marylebone towards Birmingham Snow Hill. It is situated between Beaconsfield and Saunderton stations.-History:The station was built...
by 2012. As part of this project Chiltern Railways would double most of the line, build a new Water Eaton Parkway
Water Eaton Parkway railway station
Water Eaton Parkway railway station is a proposed railway station at Water Eaton on the railway line between Oxford and Bicester. The station would be sited between Kidlington and Oxford next to an existing park and ride facility....
passenger station to serve Kidlington
Kidlington
Kidlington is a large village and civil parish between the River Cherwell and the Oxford Canal, north of Oxford and southwest of Bicester.-History:...
and north Oxford and open the short 'missing-link' from Bicester Town station to the Chiltern Main Line
Chiltern Main Line
The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa...
. This would give Oxford an alternative to First Great Western's rail link to London Paddington
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
and provide Oxford with a direct rail-link to High Wycombe for the first time since British Railways closed the Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough railway station
Princes Risborough station is a railway station on the Chiltern Main Line that serves the town of Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire, England...
- Oxford section of the Wycombe Railway
Wycombe Railway
The Wycombe Railway was a British railway between and that connected with the Great Western Railway at both ends; there was one branch, to .-History:The Wycombe Railway Company was incorporated by an act of Parliament passed in 1846...
in 1964.
This work is one element of the East West Rail Link which would see a new 100 mph (44.7 m/s) service linking Oxford with Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
and possibly also Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.