Esker-pades
Established Member
As the title: The fastest Paddington to Oxford service (it can go on to Hereford or something). Also, if it isn't the same, the train with the fewest stops between those two stations? Thanks!
The down Cathedrals Express used to be timetabled for ~45 minutes, but that's long gone due to Heathrow Express-induced congestion, added Reading stops, and more defensive driving.
Fastest London-Oxford? Obviously via the chiltern line The fast trains from London to Oxford Parkway do it in 56 minutes even while stopping at Haddenham and Thame Parkway and Bicester Village.
And on an unhindered run did the 63.5 miles in comfortably less than 40 minutes, slowing significantly only to pass through Reading station.
63.5 miles in 40 minutes gives an average speed of 90.25 mph.
No way jose!
I'll confess I never knew the Cathedrals Express do London-Oxford in 40 minutes, but it's not that outlandish an idea. In the late '90s I used to catch the 08.00 from Paddington every morning, and it would frequently draw up at Reading while 08.22 was still showing on the displays. Even today there are Reading-Oxford services timetabled to take 21 minutes.
So that's 43 minutes including a complete stop at Reading. 40 minutes if you keep moving? I don't see why not.
63.5 miles in 40 minutes gives an average speed of 90.25 mph.
No way jose!
Right, well, first my apologies. Being somewhat more mature in years when the Cathedrals Express was mentioned I immediately thought of eight or nine on a Castle's drawbar.
So HSTs it is then. In the first (2+7, no speed limiters fitted and a fairly blind eye by management who were secretly pleased about startling timings being set) years of HST operations you could clear Reading in 20 minutes. You could manage Reading to Oxford in 22 minutes. So to sum up, if you had a sporting driver, a departure off platform 7 or 8 from Padders and green lights with no TSRs anywhere I reckon Oxford could be had in 42 minutes. It couldn't be done nowadays though, defensive driving and over-managed drivers have seen to that.
I recall Padd-Didcot was booked nonstop in 30 on one or two trains at one time, meaning that 40 to Oxford is perfectly doable, if by some miracle the down platform is empty!
There are some peak-time Oxford Terminators formed of HSTs, which take 54 minutes.
I reckon you'll struggle to beat this (even when Chiltern eventually turn up)
When the 387s/Class 801s arrive, the time might fall
Don't get me started. I remember in the late 70s watching HSTs pass Didcot. If the clocks were right the down Bristols and South Wales were passing Didcot 28 minutes after leaving Paddington. Remember clocking one HST on the mileposts not dropping below 132mph between Swindon and Reading.
My first ever HST trip was a day return from Paddington to Newport (non stop) in December 1976. Fantastic.
Don't get me started. I remember in the late 70s watching HSTs pass Didcot. If the clocks were right the down Bristols and South Wales were passing Didcot 28 minutes after leaving Paddington. Remember clocking one HST on the mileposts not dropping below 132mph between Swindon and Reading.
My first ever HST trip was a day return from Paddington to Newport (non stop) in December 1976. Fantastic.
Aaaah! The days when the GWML was a high speed railway rather than a glorified tramway.
And the HSTs were used to provide fast limited stop services from London to Bristol and South Wales, rather than fast services from Reading to London for Reading commuters.
I really hope when electrification is complete that the 95mph through Reading is really well used, otherwise it would be pointless if only two morning Swansea-Paddington services use it .
It was faster 25 years ago between Oxford and London than it is now