Chiltern Railways: Operator warns of ‘particularly busy’ services into London Marylebone

Passengers planning on travelling between Oxford and London from April 17 are being warned to expect a busier service than normal, as urgent repairs are carried out on a bridge by Network Rail.

Great Western Railway (GWR) will be unable to operate trains between Oxford and Didcot Parkway until June 10 at the earliest while Network Rail stabilises the Nuneham Viaduct, near Abingdon.

While the works are ongoing, Chiltern Railways will be the only option for direct travel between Oxford and the capital, with the network warning that services from Oxford, Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village into London Marylebone will be extremely busy as a result.

In a statement, Chiltern Railways said it has “worked hard to increase capacity on this route from Monday 17 April onwards, including adding additional seats and carriages to services where possible.

“However, it is expected that these services will still be particularly busy due to the increase in customer demand from GWR and CrossCountry customers at Oxford.”

Timetables at several of the capital’s busiest stations have been affected by works recently, including Waterloo and Victoria, with Waterloo also recently hit by a signalling failure forcing a reduced service for almost an entire day.

What should Chiltern Railways passengers do?

Chiltern Railways is advising those looking to travel in from the Oxford area to either;

• Go to Didcot Parkway for direct services to London Paddington,
• or go to Bicester North or Haddenham and Thame Parkway for services to and from London Marylebone.

Why is the GWR line closed?

The line is closed between Didcot Parkway and Oxford while Network Rail carries out investigations on the Nuneham Viaduct.

In an update on its website, the operating company said: “Nuneham Viaduct, which carries the Cherwell Valley Line across the River Thames, is located between Culham and Radley, near to the town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire.

“Network Rail has been monitoring the viaduct for some time because of its movement and has been undertaking engineering interventions to stabilise it.

“Unfortunately, the movement in the structure has significantly worsened in recent weeks and has now reached a point where it is not safe to carry passenger and freight trains. That is why Network Rail has taken the significant step of temporarily closing it.”