Instead, Chiltern Railways has started hiring Customer Service Inspectors—roles that closely resemble the duties of traditional guards.

Oxford’s new railway line to Milton Keynes has been complete for almost two years, but passenger trains still aren’t running.

The move comes after the Government’s initial instruction to adopt driver-only operation, with unions demanding that a guard be present.

The new inspectors, to be based at the Bletchley depot—home to East West Rail services—will undertake tasks including customer care, revenue protection, making on-train announcements, and reporting or rectifying faults.

While a second staff member will typically be present, train doors will still be operated by drivers, meaning the absence of a second staff member in rare cases will not prevent a service from running—mirroring practices commonly seen south of London.

45 drivers have been recruited for the new service, but no guards.

An internal government document confirms issues at Winslow station will not obstruct operation, and the fleet of trains has been upgraded with ‘Superpower mode’ to enhance acceleration and meet a tight timetable.

The project delays have already taken a significant financial toll.

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Six two-carriage trains have accumulated £2.6m in costs due to delays in their lease.

Currently idle in a Bletchley depot, these units are costing the Department for Transport money without generating any fare income.

Previously, the rail industry attributed setbacks to complications in finalising Winslow station.

However, observers note this typically does not stop a line from launching, as seen with the Northumberland Line, which managed to start operations even with incomplete stations.

A total of 45 drivers have been recruited for the new service, but the absence of guards, also known as ‘train managers’, has proved more contentious.

The Government has been pushing for ‘Driver-Controlled’ or ‘Driver-Only Operation’—a cost-saving method introduced widely on London commuter lines in the 1980s.

However, this system’s extension to new lines has faced staunch resistance from rail unions, who have fielded several disputes over the years, the most recent of which extended more than four years with South Western Railway.

The stalemate over guards has ultimately stalled the Oxford-Milton Keynes route, but the introduction of the ‘Customer Service Inspector’ role now seems to pave the way for the resolution, hinting at imminent rides for the eagerly awaiting passengers.

The Government previously said trains from Oxford to Milton Keynes are being lined up to appear in the December rail timetable.

In a written statement, rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “Chiltern worked with Network Rail, the Department for Transport and other operators on the December 2026 timetable and services have been timetabled between Oxford, Winslow, Bletchley and Milton Keynes.”

Cherwell District Council has backed the plans to transform the 14-hectare brownfield site at Islip Fuel Depot, a former RAF fuel depot near Islip village.

The plans include 150 homes, of which half will be affordable, up to a 70-bed care home and up to 65 retirement units, subject to 20 conditions.

These will replace the decommissioned Islip Fuel Depot off Bletchingdon Road, which was taken over by the Esso Petroleum Company in the 1960s before being shut down in 1991.

The current state of the decommissioned Islip Fuel Depot (Image: Barwood Development Securities Ltd and NCM Real Re)

Under approval conditions, the developer must contribute almost £5m to local services, councils and police, under S106 contributions.

More than £300,000 will go towards local services. This includes improvements to Household Waste Recycling, Kidlington Library and Islip Medical Practice, or an identified primary care project in the local area.

The district council requested more than £1m in contributions towards enhancing community hall facilities, outdoor and indoor sport provision, a community development worker and fund, and public art.

Oxfordshire County Council requested more than £3.6m in financial contributions, including almost £3m towards primary and secondary education.

Thames Valley Police requested more than £30,000 towards additional staff, vehicles, premises, equipment and ANPR cameras.

In the case officer’s report, Katherine Daniels noted that while the proposal would result in the development of a substantial site on the edge of the village with some landscape and visual harm, weight is given to the benefits.

One of those is the council not being currently able to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing land.

She said: “The delivery of market housing attracts significant positive weight and the affordable housing provision attracts very substantial positive weight given the acute need for affordable homes across the District.

“National policy and guidance recognise the pressing need to provide accommodation for older persons and specialist housing to meet changing demographics. The proposal would make an important contribution towards addressing that need.”

Weight is also given to the redevelopment of the “largely redundant” brownfield site.

Illustrative views of the proposed development at the decommissioned Islip Fuel Depot (Image: Barwood Development Securities Ltd / NCM Real Re)

She said: “The proposal would secure remediation of contaminated land, environmental improvements and the beneficial reuse of previously developed land in accordance with national and local planning objectives.”

The site was first thought to be within Oxford Green Belt but officers concluded the site constitutes Grey Belt land.

She said: “The proposal would not result in unacceptable impacts in respect of highway safety, heritage assets, ecology, flooding, drainage, contamination, residential amenity or infrastructure provision.

“These matters can be appropriately addressed through planning conditions and planning obligations.”

Radley College is an independent full boarding school for boys aged 13 to 18, set in the countryside between Oxford and Abingdon.

It occupies the historic Radley Hall estate, with grounds partly landscaped by Capability Brown in the eighteenth century, and has grown to more than 850 acres in the 2020s.

The private school has now come under fire after locals spotted sprinklers being used on the grounds last week despite a hosepipe ban.

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The sprinklers at Radley College during the hosepipe ban. (Image: Public submission)

Thames Water announced at the end of last month that a temporary ban would start at 12.01am on Thursday, July 23.

This was due to an exceptionally dry spring, three official heatwaves, record‑breaking temperatures and prolonged high demand.

Sprinklers have been in operation at the Oxfordshire site in recent days, but the school has defended this, citing the water use as fulfilling health and safety needs.

A Radley College spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of everyone using our facilities remains our priority.

“During periods of dry weather, pitches can become extremely hard, increasing the risk of injury to players.

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Radley College Chapel and Mansion. (Image: Edmund Blok / Radley College)

“To minimise this risk, some of our pitches are watered for health and safety reasons using water from our on-site borehole.”

Pupils partake in a variety of sports throughout the year including rugby union, hockey, rowing, football, cricket, lawn tennis and athletics.

A statement from Thames Water backs up the school’s use of water to maintain the pitches.

The water company said: “Whilst elements of the ban do restrict some business water use, schools and sporting fields / playing surfaces are still permitted to irrigate with mains water.

“This is due to health and safety requirements.”

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The hosepipe ban remains in place currently across Oxfordshire with no end date yet set despite some rainfall last week and more expected in the coming days.

A spokesperson for Thames Water recently said: “We’ll continue to monitor water levels and conditions across the region.

“We’ll lift the hosepipe ban as soon as conditions allow.

“Thank you to everyone who has already reduced their water use- your support is helping protect water supplies for communities and the environment.”

Formerly known as St Peter’s College, Radley, the school was founded in 1847 by Anglican clergymen William Sewell and Robert Corbet Singleton.

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It was inspired by the Oxford Movement to create a Christian, collegiate-style school with an emphasis on beauty and privacy.

As of the 2026/27 academic year, Radley charges £21,216 per term for boarders, inclusive of VAT, meaning annual fees in excess of £63,000.

Notable former pupils include Oxford-born reality TV star and entrepreneur Jamie Laing, best known for Made in Chelsea and his confectionery brand Candy Kittens.

Former England cricket captains Andrew Strauss and Ted Dexter, as well as comedian Peter Cook, all attended Radley College as well.