Posted 9th January 2024 | 5 Comments

Tuesday briefing: GWR plans Oxford-Bristol service

New service
Great Western Railway is proposing to run several trains on Saturdays between Oxford and Bristol Temple Meads. Some of the trains would run via the west curve at Didcot Parkway, and revive a route which disappeared more than 20 years ago. The two return trips would call at Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa, and one would also call at Didcot Parkway by reversing there. If approval is given by the Department for Transport and Network Rail, the trial journeys could start on 14 September and run until December.

Battery delays
Merseyrail has promised refunds to passengers who have been affected by delays on the Kirkby line since battery powered Stadler Class 777 units began running on the route. It includes the recently-opened extension to Headbolt Lane, which has no conductor rail and relies on battery trains. Merseyrail said: ‘We know that services on the Headbolt Lane line have fallen short of the high standards our customers deserve.’ The nature of the problems has not been revealed.

Pay talks call
The ‘white collar’ rail union TSSA has called for urgent talks with Transport for London after it rejected a 5 per cent pay offer. The RMT had been set to strike between Monday and Thursday this week, but the walkouts were called off on Sunday after TfL made an improved offer to the RMT after reportedly ‘finding’ another £30 million. Now TSSA is due to hold a strike ballot of its TfL members, and said: ‘It is hoped that urgent talks will mean that escalation to industrial action can be avoided’.

Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

  • JOHN LIDDLE, MARKET HARBOROUGH

    Presumably the Headbolt Lane service beyond Kirkby wasn't electrified either on cost grounds, or using the same excuse by the DfT for not electrifying Ashford-Hastings-Ore and Oxted-Uckfield , ie "because locals in those areas aren't familiar with 3rd rail electrification and might step on the 3rd rail". No, I'm not making that up!

  • Andrew, Ely

    I would suggest that if a Milton Keynes to Bristol service is considered (and I agree that it should be), it should take a one-way clockwise route west of Swindon. This would then allow calls at Chippenham, Bath, Temple Meads and Parkway, while avoiding conflicting movements at Wootton Bassett Junction and terminal platform blocking at Temple Meads.

    Routing via Didcot West curve would introduce conflicting movements there in the westbound direction, possibly mitigated by serving Didcot and reversing out. Maybe a better solution is to continue to Reading instead, with connections at Didcot for Bristol.

    Stopping at Wantage and Corsham might be desirable, with populations of over 13,000 each, but would come with a time penalty, possibly waiting while inter-city services pass, and potentially affecting those also. But two trains a day would hardly offer an appealing service to these communities, or indeed to the rest of the route.

  • Don Hartwell, Milton Keynes

    I remember the Oxford - Bristol service. It was hoped it would serve new stations at Corsham and Wantage The Grove but these did not materialise. A problem was that 90mph Class 165/1 units were used and all services reversed at Didcot so I imagine most passengers from Oxford would have preferred to change at Didcot into an IC125. I think if the new service is to be a success all trains should run via Didcot West Curve and be formed of stock capable of 125 mph.

  • James Hutton, Oxford

    I admit I am not familiar with the situation between Kirby and Headbolt Lane, but perhaps it would be sensible to plan to extend the electrification to Headset Lane?

  • david C smith, Bletchley

    I wonder - might GWR extend this new service on to Milton Keynes ( we are told MK to Oxford will be reopened later this year ) ?