New GWR intercity train to link Bristol, Bath and Oxford – but only on Saturdays

Three of southern England’s most attractive cities will be reconnected by rail from Saturday 14 September, but with just two trains each way per week.

GWR is bringing back direct intercity trains from Bristol via Bath to Oxford. The service – which also calls at Chippenham and Swindon – last ran in 2003. Since then, passengers between the West of England and the university city have had to change at Didcot Parkway, which can involve a wait of more than 30 minutes.

The new Saturday-only service will start at Bristol Temple Meads at 10:18am, stopping at Bath Spa 13 minutes later and arriving in Oxford at 11:29am. Compared to the previous single-stop journey, passengers will save 27 minutes.

The first westbound journey starts in Oxford at 12:03 and returns to Bristol in 69 minutes.

Later in the afternoon, another return journey will be made between Bristol and Oxford, but anyone who misses the train will have to wait a week for the next direct service.

Mark Hopwood, managing director of GWR, said: “We are always looking for innovative ways to create new businesses and improve connectivity.

“The change in customer patterns since Covid has provided us with a clear opportunity to expand our leisure offering and the Bristol-Oxford route is one that offers real potential.”

The journey between Oxford and Swindon takes half an hour – compared with 82 minutes on the S6 bus.

Councillor Jim Robbins, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: “We are delighted that Great Western Railway is launching the new service as it will make it much easier for local residents to travel to Oxford and beyond.

“I hope the trial is a great success and leads to permanent and more frequent services.”

Only part of the journey could be made using electric traction, because electrification between Bristol and Chippenham had been abandoned and the branch to Oxford was unwired. Peter Hendy, now railway minister, later said of the project: “We are all scarred by the Great Western electrification – that was the project from hell.

“This is a very poor way to spend billions of pounds of public money.”

Separately, GWR will begin operating to a reactivated station north of Bristol on Saturday 28 September. Ashley Down will open on the site of Ashley Hill station, which closed 60 years ago. The Bristol Temple Meads link will take nine minutes, with Filton Abbey Wood a further five minutes to the north.