Bicester Town - Oxford

[Central Trains]

Since I last visited this particular branch line it has transferred from FGW to Chiltern. Does anyone know if any changes have occured yet - station branding? train livery? staff??

 

[Captain Chaos]

Don't know about station branding but from what I have seen it is standard 165/0 Chiltern stock that is running on the line now. Must say the seats look nicer than FGW 165's (from the exterior at least anyway).

Regarding staff, the TE's I have spoken to at Oxford who used to work them have told me that apart from the morning peaks they seem to be getting alot of people coming to the barriers requiring tickets. Seems to be staffed during the peaks and unstaffed the rest of the time if what I have heard is correct.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Its very much "as you were" until the line is closed for major engineering works later this year (Evergreen 3, connecting Oxford to Marylebone) when the line will be ripped up, re-laid and essentially become a completely different railway. For the time being the only difference is that the trains running along the line are painted white and blue and staffed by the good people of Banbury depot.

 

[anthony263]

Don't know about station branding but from what I have seen it is standard 165/0 Chiltern stock that is running on the line now. Must say the seats look nicer than FGW 165's (from the exterior at least anyway).

Regarding staff, the TE's I have spoken to at Oxford who used to work them have told me that apart from the morning peaks they seem to be getting alot of people coming to the barriers requiring tickets. Seems to be staffed during the peaks and unstaffed the rest of the time if what I have heard is correct.

I agree the seats on chiltern class 165's are a lot nicer to travel on.

 

[dzug2]

Don't know about station branding but from what I have seen it is standard 165/0 Chiltern stock that is running on the line now. Must say the seats look nicer than FGW 165's (from the exterior at least anyway).

Regarding staff, the TE's I have spoken to at Oxford who used to work them have told me that apart from the morning peaks they seem to be getting alot of people coming to the barriers requiring tickets. Seems to be staffed during the peaks and unstaffed the rest of the time if what I have heard is correct.

Bicester Town (and Islip) are never staffed - unless Chiltern have changed things. No machines either

Sounds like Chiltern staff haven't got used to issuing tickets. Or DOO offpeak?

 

[Clip]

Bicester Town (and Islip) are never staffed - unless Chiltern have changed things. No machines either

Sounds like Chiltern staff haven't got used to issuing tickets. Or DOO offpeak?

All guards and RPIs on Chiltern are used to selling tickets. They do it all the time when certain stations are known to be busy to relieve the pressure and queues on the booking offices.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Sounds like Chiltern staff haven't got used to issuing tickets. Or DOO offpeak?

The line is DOO at all times.

 

[ACE1888]

Did this line last year, have to say, it was totally 'underwhelming', as much as I love my rail travel

 

[moggie]

Its very much "as you were" until the line is closed for major engineering works later this year (Evergreen 3, connecting Oxford to Marylebone) when the line will be ripped up, re-laid and essentially become a completely different railway. For the time being the only difference is that the trains running along the line are painted white and blue and staffed by the good people of Banbury depot.

Not yet - Evergreen 3 only upgrades capacity Marylebone - Banbury this year. The Bicester to Oxford bit including the new junction south of Bicester North Station is a couple of years away yet

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Not yet - Evergreen 3 only upgrades capacity Marylebone - Banbury this year. The Bicester to Oxford bit including the new junction south of Bicester North Station is a couple of years away yet

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make or correct. Are you saying that the Oxford - Bicester Town branch isnt going to be "as you were" until the line closes for engineering works (which are almost certainly going to begin this year) or something else?

 

[The Planner]

Not yet - Evergreen 3 only upgrades capacity Marylebone - Banbury this year. The Bicester to Oxford bit including the new junction south of Bicester North Station is a couple of years away yet

They want it done by the end of 2012, just waiting for the TWA to be signed off and they will get going I expect.

 

[RPM]

The stations (Islip & Bicester Town) have been rebranded, although think they have just covered the old signs with vinyl.

 

[moggie]

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make or correct. Are you saying that the Oxford - Bicester Town branch isnt going to be "as you were" until the line closes for engineering works (which are almost certainly going to begin this year) or something else?

The point I made was that the planned shutdown for commissioning of EG3 later this year does not include any service modifications to the Oxford-Bicester route which presumably carries on as at present. The alterations to enable frequent through services operated by Chiltern Railways from Oxford to Marylebone, for which EG3 forms a major part of the enabling works, comes in a year or two time depending on progress of TWA and contract letting etc. That clear enough?

 

[swt_passenger]

The point I made was that the planned shutdown for commissioning of EG3 later this year does not include any service modifications to the Oxford-Bicester route which presumably carries on as at present.

Well, I thought that's what Cherry_picker had already said in his first post, it was clear enough that the service improvements were the reason for the closure, and he therefore implied that the improvements would follow the closure...