Village trains to Oxford to be cancelled for eight months

Villagers in Tackley, near Kidlington, have expressed their frustration at Network Rail’s scheduled works to replace the rail bridge at the station from this summer.

The works are due to last between six and eight months until spring next year, and will require the full closure of the southbound platform at the station for the duration.

Tackley Railway Station (Image: Nigel Thompson / Wikimedia Commons)

This means that no trains will be running from Tackley to Oxford for up to eight months.

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Great Western Railway has said no rail replacement bus services will be provided, instead recommending that passengers take the train in the opposite direction for one stop to Heyford and turn around, or take existing S4 Stagecoach bus to Oxford.

Villagers are saying this is ‘not good enough’.

Dr Jill Millar, a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, depends on the train to get to work.

The temporary footbridge at Tackley Railway Station, set to be replaced from June (Image: Network Rail)

She said: “A lack of trains will add significant time and a level of uncertainty to my commute.

“I cannot understand why Network Rail is taking so long to construct a footbridge and disappointed that Great Western Railway is not making reasonable alternative arrangements.”

An open letter petition has also been launched for those affected by the services to add their signatures to.

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The letter said: “First Great Western’s passenger charter makes it clear that the rail company is responsible for rail replacement services.

“The suggestion that people use the S4 bus is wholly inadequate. It is crowded, slow, and not a rail replacement service.  

“We look forward to First Great Western arranging  suitable rail replacement services.

“We suggest that the cheapest and most convenient for all would be a bus to Heyford, timed to meet the southbound trains.”

Great Western Railway will not be providing rail replacement services (Image: Archive)

Network Rail said the responsibility to supply alternative rail services falls on Great Western Railway, and confirmed construction of the footbridge will begin in June and is expected to be finished in spring 2027, with the lifts to follow ‘later in the year’.

A spokesperson for Great Western Railway said: “When the new bridge opens, Tackley will be fully accessible for the first time in its history; a permanent improvement that will make a real and lasting difference to passengers and the wider community for years to come.

“To deliver that, there will be a temporary period of disruption from June 12, during which the Oxford-bound platform has to be closed.

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‘Dangerous’ Tackely level crossing was closed in 2020 (Image: National Rail)

“The impact on passengers has been carefully considered. Customers can travel to Heyford or Banbury and connect to Oxford at no extra cost or use the existing hourly S4 Stagecoach bus.

“To ensure no one is left out of pocket, we are temporarily reducing the cost of a single rail ticket from Oxford to Tackley so the combined cost of bus and train remains equivalent to an off-peak return fare.”

Construction of the footbridge has been a long standing project since the emergency closure of Tackley level crossing in 2020, due to dangerous trespassing on the tracks.