Nuneham Viaduct: Travel advice & updates

[Mark J]

The rail replacement service is insufficient. One bus per hour from Didcot to Oxford and vice versa.

An example of tonight's service.

Last rail replacement bus to Oxford is 21:55. Last rail replacement bus from Oxford is 22:25.

A worse 'late/last' service than you see on a Saturday (22:38 going towards Reading/Paddington).

If this level of buses per hour in place at the weekend, it will he an utter nightmare trying to get to and from Didcot and Oxford in both directions.

 

[Mathew S]

The rail replacement service is insufficient. One bus per hour from Didcot to Oxford and vice versa.

An example of tonight's service.

Last rail replacement bus to Oxford is 21:55. Last rail replacement bus from Oxford is 22:25.

A worse 'late/last' service than you see on a Saturday (22:38 going towards Reading/Paddington).

If this level of buses per hour in place at the weekend, it will he an utter nightmare trying to get to and from Didcot and Oxford in both directions.

Is there not still ticket acceptance on the X32 and X2? They run late, and are pretty frequent.

 

[Mark J]

Is there not still ticket acceptance on the X32 and X2? They run late, and are pretty frequent.

X32 finishes around 20:30 in both directions. The X2 runs late (past 11pm) every half hour. However the route is via Milton Park and Abingdon, not a fast limited stop service.

Also to be fair, not everyone is familiar with local bus services between Oxford and Didcot. I suspect a large number, especially those using XC services and tourists from London area, will be looking at the National Rail timetable for replacement bus services.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

The rail replacement service is insufficient. One bus per hour from Didcot to Oxford and vice versa.

An example of tonight's service.

Last rail replacement bus to Oxford is 21:55. Last rail replacement bus from Oxford is 22:25.

A worse 'late/last' service than you see on a Saturday (22:38 going towards Reading/Paddington).

If this level of buses per hour in place at the weekend, it will he an utter nightmare trying to get to and from Didcot and Oxford in both directions.

The difficulty in obtaining buses have been well documented on this forum - no point trying to plan more than can be resolved.

 

[cm39275]

The rail replacement service is insufficient. One bus per hour from Didcot to Oxford and vice versa.

An example of tonight's service.

Last rail replacement bus to Oxford is 21:55. Last rail replacement bus from Oxford is 22:25.

A worse 'late/last' service than you see on a Saturday (22:38 going towards Reading/Paddington).

If this level of buses per hour in place at the weekend, it will he an utter nightmare trying to get to and from Didcot and Oxford in both directions.

As a member of station staff at Oxford I can confirm that we have been running a more replacement buses than that has been advertised almost as soon as one bus is filled its sent on it way. One of reasons for the replacement buses currently onlny being advertised as hourly is to help with connections for those who are connecting off and on to the remaining crosscountry services. Majority of Passengers are being advised by myself and other station staff along with the on-board staff working services from the north cotswolds, that if they are travelling to Central London and beyond to travel on Chiltern railways services to London Marylebone.

 

[Horizon22]

Once the local buses have stopped and GWR and XC have sourced all that they can reliably provide, what is the alternative?

Unfortunately conjuring this up at short-notice was always going to be hard. It might get even harder in coming weeks away from school holidays.

 

[acerowings]

I commute Reading to Leamington Spa three times a week. This is going to be a rough few weeks for me, isn’t it?

 

[birchesgreen]

I'm booked on the 10:20 GUI-BHM on Sunday, i suppose i can take an earlier train and the ticket will be fine?

Are Cross Country seat reservations still going to be valid or are they going to ignore them. I am guessing the latter?

 

[Falcon1200]

Depending where passengers are going the local bus services might actually be more useful than the Rail Replacements, which presumably stop nowhere in Oxford other than at the rail station; Essential for anyone just passing through of course, but for people going to or from Oxford itself, the X32 goes right through the city centre and on to the JR Hospital. But I agree the early finish of that service is disappointing.

 

[Jimini]

I commute Reading to Leamington Spa three times a week. This is going to be a rough few weeks for me, isn’t it?

I'm afraid so, yes. Welcome to the forum!

 

[12LDA28C]

I commute Reading to Leamington Spa three times a week. This is going to be a rough few weeks for me, isn’t it?

Few months, potentially until July.

 

[lachlan]

How do I purchase a ticket between Bristol Temple Meads and Oxford? I was hoping to travel via Worcester. Previously I was able to see open return tickets for around £30 with a railcard, now I can’t buy a ticket either through LNER or National Rail Enquiries

Edit: Trainline will sell me a super off peak return, but I don’t want to pay their booking fee

 

[railfan99]

As a member of station staff at Oxford I can confirm that we have been running a more replacement buses than that has been advertised almost as soon as one bus is filled its sent on it way. One of reasons for the replacement buses currently onlny being advertised as hourly is to help with connections for those who are connecting off and on to the remaining crosscountry services. Majority of Passengers are being advised by myself and other station staff along with the on-board staff working services from the north cotswolds, that if they are travelling to Central London and beyond to travel on Chiltern railways services to London Marylebone.

cm39275, thank you for your work. Well done.

How many buses (at maximum) do you have shuttling up and down?

For a typical trip in (a) offpeak and (b) peak) road traffic times, what's the approximate running time for the replacement buses/road coaches and how does this compare with rail? Are the buses often stuck in traffic or is it not too bad?

 

[Jimini]

Quick question for the group: if I were to buy my usual Coventry <> Banbury and Banbury <> Reading split tickets, would they be valid via Euston and Paddington, or because the first half is available as a regular journey with no disruption, would I be backing myself into a replacement bus shaped corner between Oxford and Didcot instead, or a journey via. Marylebone maybe?

Cheers ~ Jim.

Ticket acceptance is also available via any reasonable route on Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway, from Tuesday 11 April onwards.

Chiltern Railways via any reasonable route

 

[SuperLuke2334]

Quick question for the group: if I were to buy my usual Coventry <> Banbury and Banbury <> Reading split tickets, would they be valid via Euston and Paddington, or because the first half is available as a regular journey with no disruption, would I be backing myself into a replacement bus shaped corner between Oxford and Didcot instead, or a journey via. Marylebone maybe?

Cheers ~ Jim.

As its Chiltern by any route, I'd say you're better off going Marylebone, then Paddington.

 

[cm39275]

As of Monday 10th of April 2023 Crosscounty will be reducing their timetable to 1 train every 2 hours in each direction between Oxford and Birmingham.

 

[Jimini]

As its Chiltern by any route, I'd say you're better off going Marylebone, then Paddington.

I did think that aye, but would be quicker / more frequent via Euston, especially now the non-stop services are back. Also noting @cm39275's post above about reducing the southbound service from New Street to 1tp2h, which makes it even less attractive to be honest.

 

[Gagravarr]

Does anyone know how busy the Marylebone trains are leaving Oxford around 8am this week, after last week's reported overcrowding? And how frequent the buses are + how long the queues tend to be?

My wife's off to London tomorrow, and I'm trying to help her weight up the options. RRB looks to be 45 minutes which feels plausible with the Botley Road closure (assuming you can get on one!), and the X32 is timetabled for a similar time with the Milton Park stop. Then ~40 minutes on the train from Didcot, sure of a seat but the faff of changing. Marylebone option is a tiny bit quicker, less effort if you can get a seat from Oxford, but much less pleasant if you're standing for 80 minutes...

 

[12LDA28C]

Marylebone option is a tiny bit quicker, less effort if you can get a seat from Oxford, but much less pleasant if you're standing for 80 minutes...

As long as you're at the station well before departure time (eg just after the train arrives) then you should have a seat no matter how crowded the train gets.

 

[FlyingPotato]

For ticket acceptance on any reasonable route, does that include advance tickets as well

 

[crablab]

does that include advance tickets as well

Yes

 

[FlyingPotato]

Yes

Do you have to do anything or is just turn up and travel

 

[crablab]

Do you have to do anything or is just turn up and travel

You can validate your proposed itinerary is acceptable to the TOC social media team (which is what I do) in case you get any questions enroute.
But in general if you travel around the time of your advance and via a reasonable route included in the ticket acceptance (check NRE website) I don't think you'll have any issues. The incident seems to be well known about.

 

[acerowings]

My commute has been hit hilariously hard by this. I arrived into Didcot from Reading at earlier then 0710 the other day, but missed the 0739 train up to Leamington due (I think) to the new bus route. The 0839 is one of the cancelled alternate trains.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

My commute has been hit hilariously hard by this. I arrived into Didcot from Reading at earlier then 0710 the other day, but missed the 0739 train up to Leamington due (I think) to the new bus route. The 0839 is one of the cancelled alternate trains.

That's not good. Presume the 0739 that you refer to is the Northbound XC service now starting at Oxford?

Is travel via Paddington/Marylebone a possibility?

 

[30907]

That's not good. Presume the 0739 that you refer to is the Northbound XC service now starting at Oxford?

Is travel via Paddington/Marylebone a possibility?

XC reckon the OP needs to leave RDG at 0615
Not sure via London is any quicker.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

XC reckon the OP needs to leave RDG at 0615
Not sure via London is any quicker.

Might not be any quicker overall, but if the 0739 Northbound XC from Oxford is just missed, travelling from Marylebone hopefully avoids an awkward two hour gap for the next train.

The 0739 XC from Oxford arrives Leamington Spa at 0814, whereas the 0710 Chiltern from Marylebone arrives Leamington Spa at 0824, and the fallback is the 0735 Chiltern from Marylebone, arriving Leamington Spa 0906.

 

[30907]

Might not be any quicker overall, but if the 0739 Northbound XC from Oxford is just missed, travelling from Marylebone hopefully avoids an awkward two hour gap for the next train.

The 0739 XC from Oxford arrives Leamington Spa at 0814, whereas the 0710 Chiltern from Marylebone arrives Leamington Spa at 0824, and the fallback is the 0735 Chiltern from Marylebone, arriving Leamington Spa 0906.

It equally involves leaving Reading at 0615 to be reasonably sure of making the 0710 (it is probably not an official connection, but looks pretty safe. It is more robust, though, as missing the 0615 XC means a 35min wait and makes catching the 0739 impossible (a taxi might do it!) - as acerowings has sadly found.

 

[Jimini]

No problems on board or at the Marylebone and Paddington gatelines today, I’m pleased to report (travelling on a Coventry <> Swindon route Reading not London off peak return). Ticket acceptance messaging looks to have landed ok. Whether the same can be said of the infamous Euston gateline on the way back remains to be seen!

 

[Falcon1200]

So, arriving at Didcot today and travelling to a final destination not far from the JR Hospital in Oxford, I opted to use the X32 bus.

Good points; My rail ticket was accepted without question, and once we had got clear of Milton Park the journey was surprisingly fast, and congestion free.
Bad points; Conflict between the timetable posters at Didcot and actual bus times as per passenger information systems, leading to a longer wait than expected; Only a single decker (and a tatty one at that) was provided, leading to some passengers standing between Milton Park and Oxford.

But overall it was a simple journey and an option I will certainly use again.