Sorry to restart this thread, but seen as the event is now taking place next week I think it is appropriate.
As
@Nicholas43 said, the precise anniversary is the 12th of June and GWR will be running a non-stop train between Oxford and London Paddington to mark the 175th anniversary and the first train between these two stations. It will be the
1Z77 1127 Oxford - London Paddington and the train is due to arrive in the capital at 1209.
More and more detail has been put on the website for the event now that the day is closer. A timetable has been released for GWR services between Oxford and Didcot Parkway.
They could do a top n tail class 50 from Oxford to say Reading to relive the old days when they had proper trains on that stretch.
I’d have some of that.
Maybe even chuck in the odd 47 too.
Provided that they could get some decent stock.
Unfortunately for enthusiasts such as yourself, this will not happen as
1) The event is not about the line between Oxford and Reading (it's Oxford - Didcot)
2) The event is focusing on the heritage aspect of the line (steam engines and such, that's why Didcot Railway Centre is playing a role in the day's events)
As much as I would like to see this happen, it is very unlikely now the event's timings (including railtours) have been sorted out.
Must be 25 years ago then, 1994, when I chanced upon the weekend 150th celebration of the line at Didcot. 5051 was doing shuttles all day to Oxford with a 10-coach rake which worked up some notable speeds, especially outwards, nonstop, but also return, tender first and stopping at all stations. Driven flat out. Short distance but it was quite a run, I tell you ...
I would definitely love DRC or someone similar to run a steam service for people trying to get between the two places. Yes, there are the railtours, but these are only open to those who can afford the tickets and maybe if they charged a little bit extra for the rover tickets for the special event they could run a steam service instead of a horrible Turbostar!
-Peter