Oxford Bus Company/Thames Travel

[JamesT]

Seems to have been a general pattern across new timetables from both companies today, lots on Botley Road running 25+ minutes late. Might hope it will improve once the congestion charge is replaced with traffic filters next week?

Only if there are people using Botley Road today who are happy to pay £5 but not the £70 fine. I suspect it will continue to be horrible with the draw of the Westgate parking.

 

[Oxfordblues]

I cycle at 10mph. Traffic on Botley Road today averaged 3mph. I never use the bus!

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Today, Sunday 20 September, no 'padding' at all. Buses on the new extended route 6 have become up to 30 minutes late. Some have been turned back in the city centre. Some have, in panic mode, run via the A34 from Abingdon to Bertie Place, bypassing Radley and Kennington. Did OBC rely on Artitificial Stupidity to devise the Sunday timetable?

One reason for the once Kidlington - Barton service split was because of reliability issues.

 

[Nicholas43]

One reason for the once Kidlington - Barton service split was because of reliability issues.

Yes, but back then they were taking 20 minutes to inch along the clogged Cornmarket and High Street. On 20 September, New Road and George Street were clear.

 

[goldisgood]

Probably just needs a little time to settle down - traffic seemed particularly bad yesterday (anecdotally with some wanting to check out Botley Road just as it’s finally reopened). Certainly looking at peak journeys this morning the new cross-city services seemed to be holding up fine from what I can see on bustimes?

Also seems like Thames Travel have some new (dealer stock?) Enviro 400 MMCs for the new 25/25A contract starting today.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Probably just needs a little time to settle down - traffic seemed particularly bad yesterday (anecdotally with some wanting to check out Botley Road just as it’s finally reopened). Certainly looking at peak journeys this morning the new cross-city services seemed to be holding up fine from what I can see on bustimes?

Also seems like Thames Travel have some new (dealer stock?) Enviro 400 MMCs for the new 25/25A contract starting today.

Yep, I had a feeling more 76-plate sets of these would be introduced. 80631 has transferred as well. Good to see an upgrade .

Presumably these have the same 'Private hire-spec interiors as 80631-4?

 

[aswilliamsuk]

Probably just needs a little time to settle down - traffic seemed particularly bad yesterday (anecdotally with some wanting to check out Botley Road just as it’s finally reopened). Certainly looking at peak journeys this morning the new cross-city services seemed to be holding up fine from what I can see on bustimes?

Also seems like Thames Travel have some new (dealer stock?) Enviro 400 MMCs for the new 25/25A contract starting today.

Apparently there's six E400 MMC coming - four for Thames Travel (80635/36 are the first two in use) and two for Oxford.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Apparently there's six E400 MMC coming - four for Thames Travel (80635/36 are the first two in use) and two for Oxford.

Would these have been cheaper to buy than a normal new bus?

 

[padbus]

Is the new bridge at Oxford Station high enough to take full height double deckers as promised?

 

[JamesT]

Is the new bridge at Oxford Station high enough to take full height double deckers as promised?

The clearance sign is for 4.4m, which is apparently tall enough to cope with most double deckers.

 

[Nicholas43]

The double-decker buses in use in Oxford.were, of course, happily going under the old 4-track bridge. The only stretch of the road which has been lowered is the bit under the new single span, intended to serve the hoped-for platform 5.

 

[JamesT]

The double-decker buses in use in Oxford.were, of course, happily going under the old 4-track bridge. The only stretch of the road which has been lowered is the bit under the new single span, intended to serve the hoped-for platform 5.

The old bridge was only cleared to 4.0m. Which was why Oxford had lowbridge variant double deckers. But the new bridge should be good enough for normal ones.

 

[Goldfish62]

The old bridge was only cleared to 4.0m. Which was why Oxford had lowbridge variant double deckers. But the new bridge should be good enough for normal ones.

4.0m would have been too low for any low height double deck, even the Bristol LD.

 

[JamesT]

4.0m would have been too low for any low height double deck, even the Bristol LD.

https://oxfordclarion.uk/botley-road-could-remain-closed-until-june-2026/ has an image of the old bridge with the 4.0m sign.

And here's an image of the old bridge with one of the low variant double deckers about to go under it.

 

[Goldfish62]

https://oxfordclarion.uk/botley-road-could-remain-closed-until-june-2026/ has an image of the old bridge with the 4.0m sign.

And here's an image of the old bridge with one of the low variant double deckers about to go under it.

Ah, being a triangle it's advisory, so buses taller than 4.0m, which all UK double deck buses are, could go under without breaking the law. It goes without saying that the operators needed to be sure of the actual clearance rather than the signed clearance.

 

[Deerfold]

Ah, being a triangle it's advisory, so buses taller than 4.0m, which all UK double deck buses are, could go under without breaking the law. It goes without saying that the operators needed to be sure of the actual clearance rather than the signed clearance.

Also, 13'6" is 4.11 metres

 

[Goldfish62]

Also, 13'6" is 4.11 metres

That is correct. And 4.0m is 13'1".

 

[Andyh82]

I was in Oxford today and I noticed one of the duties on the 500 was a city sightseeing bus

Obviously they have spares available at this time of year. The stairs were chained off so you couldn’t go upstairs

 

[LW84]

I was in Oxford today and I noticed one of the duties on the 500 was a city sightseeing bus

Obviously they have spares available at this time of year. The stairs were chained off so you couldn’t go upstairs

Yes this has been the case with the 500 since around autumn 2025. Imagine a sightseeing ride down Cowley Road!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Sep 2026 ==

===

Another weekday (28th Sep), and another message was posted from OBC/TT in the evening peak ('rush hour') advising city-wide delays on day 1 of the Traffic Filters being in-play (as replacement to the Congestion Charge). Delays from 5 to 35 minutes. Some bunching observed on some routes (5A and the 8 in particular, the latter being hindered by being rerouted out of the city due to rescheduled resurfacing outside the Westgate on Bonn Square), but that is nothing new!! So far so good?

A point about Abingdon Road, Botley Road and the filters/now ceased CC... on Saturday early-afternoon (CC still in-play), Abingdon Road was relatively quiet, and Botley Road already the logjam that it appears OCC conceded it could be by having it as the only route to the Westgate without a permit or ability to pay £70/£35. Before the filters go-live!

To relate that comment to OBC/TT (and to be fair, Stagecoach), their timings did seem to make some allowance for the anticipated traffic on Botley Road, based on some casual checking done.

To return to a comment I made in August, maybe OBC did know what they were doing with the number 6 (Wolvercote-City-Radley-Abingdon)... will continue to see what happens as things bed in!

 

[Nicholas43]

....
To return to a comment I made in August, maybe OBC did know what they were doing with the number 6 (Wolvercote-City-Radley-Abingdon)... will continue to see what happens as things bed in!

Route 6 ran well on Sunday 27 Sep, I think. Bonn Square is now blocked for buses. Southbound diversion of route 6 via Norfolk Street and Speedwell Street (which is also being dug up).
Currently, no stop between New Road and the Police Station, which is making the natives a bit grumpy.

 

[Andyh82]

When I was in town today, the pedestrianised precinct outside Westgate is closed for road works, the route buses were taking instead, Speedwell Street has 4 way lights and there was some sort of fire service activity on Broad Street which blocked Magdalen Street which caused all the buses to have to be reversed out and subsequently buses had to go on a long diversion to enable them to reappear on the outbound side of Magdalen Street. So no wonder there were loads of delays.

Out of interest, what buses should use the pedestrianised road these days following the recent service changes?

 

[LW84]

Out of interest, what buses should use the pedestrianised road these days following the recent service changes?

Routes that use Bonn Sq / Queen Street when open...
(all OBC or TT bar the joint-operated 8)
3, 3A, 6, 8 (both ops), 46, 500, X2, X15, X40.

 

[Parebunks]

Out of interest, what buses should use the pedestrianised road these days following the recent service changes?

I make it X2, X15, X40, 3, 3A, 6, 8, 46, 500. About 33 buses per hour, of which 8 are going down Abingdon Road and the rest are heading towards the Plain.

I do think that the last few changes have crept the situation towards a point where the Council could make a much stronger case to fully pedestrianise Queen Street than a few years ago - 3/3A could go round Westgate as the 1/5 do, X2/X15/X40 could potentially turn at the Plain, 6 could stick to the West side of Westgate. Would still need to turn 8/46/500 at Speedwell Street but at 14bph with some potential to rearrange the 500 doesn't feel too tall an order.

Needless to say I imagine OBC are still resolutely opposed and I'd have some strong reservations myself, but wouldn't be surprised if OCC brought it up again within the next few years.

 

[Simon75]

I was in Oxford today and I noticed one of the duties on the 500 was a city sightseeing bus

Obviously they have spares available at this time of year. The stairs were chained off so you couldn’t go upstairs

Are the open tops kept inside?

 

[Falcon1200]

When I was in town today, the pedestrianised precinct outside Westgate is closed for road works, the route buses were taking instead, Speedwell Street has 4 way lights and there was some sort of fire service activity on Broad Street which blocked Magdalen Street which caused all the buses to have to be reversed out and subsequently buses had to go on a long diversion to enable them to reappear on the outbound side of Magdalen Street.

Also, yesterday afternoon, two separate locations on George Street where the road was down to one lane!

 

[Mark L]

I was in Oxford today and I noticed one of the duties on the 500 was a city sightseeing bus

Obviously they have spares available at this time of year. The stairs were chained off so you couldn’t go upstairs

The 500 is really just a “livened up” crew shuttle. In recent months it’s been operated by everything from Enviro 100EVs to the open toppers.

 

[Falcon1200]

The 500 is really just a “livened up” crew shuttle.

I used it a couple of times in the summer, purely to travel on an open-topper, but yes, the upper deck was indeed chained off! I think I was the only non-staff passenger too.

 

[Andyh82]

It’s a few years since the electrics started to be introduced now and I find it odd that they still haven’t repainted the previous diesel fleet, so buses in the old colour liveries are still kicking about, as are other old schemes like the Didcot Connector brand.

Also vehicles that you’d expect to be temporary, the National Express West Midlands enviros are still in all day service. Routes X2, X3, X15 etc still have a vast number of different liveries in use.

 

[Mollman]

It’s a few years since the electrics started to be introduced now and I find it odd that they still haven’t repainted the previous diesel fleet, so buses in the old colour liveries are still kicking about, as are other old schemes like the Didcot Connector brand.

Also vehicles that you’d expect to be temporary, the National Express West Midlands enviros are still in all day service. Routes X2, X3, X15 etc still have a vast number of different liveries in use.

There have been a lot of repaints for Carousel with the ex-London Citaros and some of the second hand E200MMCs plus the Streetdecks for the 850.

 

[Andyh82]

New MMCs 631, 632, 633 were all lined up on a private hire in Oxford yesterday alongside a Pearces coach.

Are Oxford getting some new coaches as I passed a two tone blue Tourismo today which looked like unbranded Airline livery. It just said ‘123 Hanover Displays’ on the front