Crime & Safety
Cheaper ‘special’ train fares on UK’s newest train line
The new direct service, operated by Great Western Railway, officially ran on Monday, May 18, for the first time after 23 years.
Running every two hours, the new services are from Monday to Saturday, calling at Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Chippenham, Swindon and Oxford.
The first service left Oxford at 7am on Monday, arriving into Swindon at 7.30am and Bristol Temple Meads at 8.20am.
Quickest direct journey times from Oxford will be one hour eight minutes, and from Bristol one hour 11 minutes.
To mark the launch, Great Western Railway is offering a range of special deals on fares for the first month, with Advance Purchase tickets on the new services available from around half the usual price.
Example fares on new Bristol-Oxford direct services include a journey from Bath to Oxford priced at £10 and Oxford to Swindon for £6.
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This follows initial safety measures being put in place along the route ahead of services starting, and further safety improvements in the months to come, as discussed with the Office of Rail and Road.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander, who was pictured with GWR driver Paul Maambo, said: “I was absolutely thrilled to be on the first train of the new weekday direct service between Swindon and Oxford.
“The weekend trial of direct trains was hugely popular, and this new weekday service will provide a fast, convenient alternative to being stuck in a traffic jam on the A420.”
GWR managing director Mark Hopwood said the new direct services would be “transformational” and brings the end of years of campaigning.
Network Rail western route director Marcus Jones added: “Reintroducing direct services between Bristol, Swindon and Oxford is a significant step in improving connectivity across the Western route.
“We’ve worked closely with Great Western Railway to make sure the infrastructure is ready to support these services safely and reliably, and this is an important milestone following the initial safety work we’ve completed.
“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.”
Neil Fawcett, interim leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “We were strong supporters of the business case for this service, which is excellent news for Oxfordshire passengers.
“As we showed through the publication of our OxRail 2040: Plan for Rail in November, we are committed to improving rail transport and connectivity across Oxfordshire and the wider region.
“We look forward to continuing to work with our partners, including rail operators such as GWR, and the government to achieve this.”
The last direct services between the two iconic destinations had previously run in 2003.
The Northern Bypass Road was closed heading westbound after Headington Roundabout from about 3am on Wednesday morning (May 27), while police dealt with a serious emergency incident.
A significant emergency response was seen on the road, with all traffic blocked from the westbound carriageway and the exit and entry slip roads at Marsh Lane until the afternoon.
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Thames Valley Police confirmed a man in his 20s died following reports of a fear for welfare incident, which occurred shortly after 2.45am.
A spokesperson for the force said: “Emergency services attended but sadly a man aged in his 20s was pronounced deceased at the scene.
“His death is being treated as unexplained, but not suspicious, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.
“His family have been informed and are being supported.”
Eyewitness Doug Lloyd, who saw forensic experts sweeping the scene nearby after the incident, said: “It was very quickly quite obvious to me that this was a very serious incident.
“A blue police ‘crime scene’ tent and ‘crime scene’ investigators were visible just below the bridge over the A40 at Marsh Lane.
“The police presence was significant and they were doing a great job of securing the scene and ensuring the traffic kept moving as much as possible considering the circumstances.
“Motorists were being forced to turn around on the slip road off the A40 at Marsh Lane and re-join the dual carriageway.
“It’s devastating to hear that a young man has lost his life and my thoughts go out to his family and friends.”
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Oxford Labour councillor Susanna Pressel also voiced her condolences.
She said: “It’s very sad to hear about the death of this young man. My heart goes out to his family and friends at this awful time.”
Questions have been raised over whether Oxfordshire County Council should retrospectively suspend the congestion charge on Marston Ferry Road, which was active between 6am and 9am while the road was closed.
The council said it is ‘looking into’ the possibility of retrospectively suspending the morning’s charges, but has not confirmed at this stage.
Ms Pressel added: “It must have been grim for the hundreds of people stuck in traffic jams, especially if they were on their way to the hospital. I hope diversions were set up quickly.
“I think the county council should have suspended the congestion charge in Marston Ferry Road, if this is part of the diversion route.
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“However, the party that currently runs the council will probably not agree with me.
“At least that congestion charge point operates only from 6am to 9am and from 3pm to 6 pm, so many of the diverted drivers will not be affected, and it charges only £5.
“Pressure on the council to suspend the charge in emergencies such as this will be far greater later this year when the congestion charge is replaced by the traffic filters, as the charge then will be £35 if paid within 14 days.”
The John Radcliffe Hospital was contacted for comment on the impact of the road closure.
Parkinson’s UK was awarded a show garden at the world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show this May, putting together A Garden for Every Parkinson’s Journey.
It was designed by award-winning gardener and BBC presenter Arit Anderson, and the garden reflects the journey of living with Parkinson’s and invites people to experience the benefits of gardening.
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The garden won the People’s Choice Award 2026, voted for by the public at the show.
After the show ended on Saturday, May 23, the garden was de-constructed by the charity and it is hoped it will be reconstructed in the grounds of the John Radcliffe Hospital.
Parkinson’s UK’s director of fundraising and experience, Paul Jackson-Clark, said: “Plans are already under way for the garden’s relocation to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, a Parkinson’s Centre of Excellence, ensuring that the Parkinson’s community can continue to enjoy and benefit from its lasting legacy.
“However, the garden’s final layout and structural elements are subject to planning permission and listed building consent.”
A planning application has been submitted to Oxford City Council to install the show garden in curtilage of the historic Manor House, the oldest part of the hospital which was built as a private home around 1770.
The Grade II listed building was sold to the Trustees of the Radcliffe Infirmary to use as a training school for nurses in 1917, and in the 1970s the John Radcliffe Hospital was built on the surrounding seven acre estate.
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The proposed site for the Parkinson’s UK garden is a green space with trees that would be incorporated into the landscaping of the new garden.
Plans show colourful planted flower beds around a curved walkway path, incorporating timber benches, a sculpture and sun shelter, a pond and trees – just as the show garden appeared in Chelsea – totalling more than £300,000 in plants and features.
A statement from Parkinson’s UK included with the application said: “A Garden for Every Parkinson’s Journey symbolises the journey of living with Parkinson’s: the moments of adaptation, challenge, hope and connection.
“As part of our commitment to providing a lasting legacy, Parkinson’s has sought a relocation site with deep ties to the charity’s work.
“After considering five potential locations, we selected the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.”
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The charity said the city was chosen because Parkinson’s UK’s ‘strong links’ with the John Radcliffe’s neurology team and because Oxford hosts its largest volunteer group in the UK, and it has been working with the hospital on the garden since last year.
The statement added: “The garden is very much by the community, for the community and designed to be enjoyed and appreciated by everyone visiting the John Radcliffe Hospital.”
Some plants have already been installed to preserve them due to their life span, but other permanent features will not be added until planning permission is granted.
The Oxford Bus Museum unveiled its fully restored 1948 Morris 10 Series M in Long Hanborough on Bank Holiday Monday, May 25.
The car was first registered on 31 March 1948 before it was transferred into the ownership of Dennis Flowers, who lived near Coventry, on June 10, 1961.
Twenty years later, the Flowers family donated the vehicle to the Coventry Transport Museum, from which the Morris Motors Museum acquired it in December 2011.
An Oxford Bus Museum spokesman said: “It is fitting that Ellen and Joanne Flowers were passengers when the car drove out of the workshop.”
The restoration project was extensive, including a complete engine rebuild, new clutch assembly, chrome replating, and full reupholstering of the seats.
The Morris 10 Series M first launched in September 1938 and was a landmark 10hp model featuring a 1,140cc four-cylinder engine and innovative mono-construction design.
The museum, located at Old Station Yard, celebrates 130 years of bus and coach travel in Oxfordshire.
It houses historic vehicles, horse-drawn vehicles, and a wide selection of public transport artefacts.
Since 2004, the Morris Motors Museum has also shared the site, telling the story of classic British motoring and commercial vehicle production in Cowley.
The Long Hanborough museum is 65 metres from Hanborough Railway Station on the Cotswold line and is served by Stagecoach’s S7 bus route, which operates every 30 minutes between Oxford and Witney.
The site offers free parking, a café, and a play area, making it accessible for visitors of all ages.
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