A new rail link between a London terminal and a major UK city has been constructed for the first time in over 100 years.
The section of line between Oxford and Bicester has been constructed to create a new Oxford – London Marylebone route for commuters. The project, made possible by a £320m joint investment by Network Rail and Chiltern Railways, opened on Monday 12th December, and provides a welcome alternative for commuters travelling between London and Oxford. Two new stations have been created: Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village.
The project forms part of the East West Rail initiative, which has received government funding to increase infrastructure in the region, particularly between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.
The new Chiltern Railways’ Oxford Flyer will run up to 2 services every hour, with several services only stopping twice between Oxford city and London Marylebone, providing the fastest journey times possible. The C168/3 trainsets were recently purchased by Chiltern for the Oxford Flyer route, and feature Icomera Passenger Wi-Fi. This increases the already extensive provision of Icomera Wi-Fi available on the franchise.
Dave Penney, managing director of Chiltern Railways, said: “The current service from Oxford Parkway has been phenomenally successful with over 1.5 million passengers using the line to date. The completion of the historic project provides an alternative route to London for over 100,000 people and reopens a key commuting line between the growing town of Bicester and Oxford.”
