Direct rail service set to begin after 23 years

A new daily rail service from Oxford to Bristol is expected to set off for the first time in more than 20 years.

The first direct service will begin on Monday from 07:00 BST, travelling from Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads via Swindon, after Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) gave the final sign-off on Friday.

The new weekday service, which comes back into operation after 23 years, also cuts more than 10 minutes off the current fastest weekday journey time to under 30 minutes from Swindon to Oxford.

Marcus Jones, Network Rail western route director, said the service would "open up new opportunities for work, education and leisure".

Currently, there are no direct services between Swindon and Oxford, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Passengers have to change at Didcot Parkway or Reading to travel between the two stations.

It comes after the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) approved a bid on 13 May from GWR to run a two-hourly service between Bristol, Swindon and Oxford on weekdays and Saturdays from 17 May.

The new service will run Monday to Saturday, between Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Chippenham, Swindon and Oxford.

The first service leaves Oxford at 07:00 on Monday, arriving into Swindon at 07:30 and Bristol Temple Meads at 08:20.

From Bristol, the first train will leave at 07:14, arriving into Swindon at 07:59 and Oxford at 08:32.

Fastest direct journey times from Oxford will be one hour and eight minutes, and from Bristol one hour and 11 minutes.

Jones said: "These links will make it easier for people to travel between key economic centres, opening up new opportunities for work, education and leisure, while we continue to deliver further improvements across the route in the months ahead."

Transport Secretary and Swindon South MP Heidi Alexander said the service would "provide a fast, convenient alternative to being stuck in a traffic jam on the A420".

Mark Hopwood, GWR managing director, said: "We are confident that these new services demonstrate the value of rail in driving economic growth, environmental benefits, and creating education and employment opportunities."

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