GWR resumes direct trains from Bristol and Swindon to Oxford after more than 20 years

The service restarted this week and will run from Monday to Saturday

A direct train service from Bristol to Oxford, via Swindon, has resumed after more than two decades.

The GWR route from Temple Meads, which has not been in operation since 2003, runs every two hours throughout the week and also on Saturdays, calling at Bath, Chippenham, Swindon and Oxford.

The stretch from Swindon to Oxford takes less than 30 minutes, meaning it is nearly 10 minutes quicker than the current fastest weekday route.

The direct journey was resurrected after the Office of Rail and Road approved a GWR bid to run the service from Bristol to Oxford.

Marcus Jones, network Rail western route director, said: “These links will make it easier for people to travel between key economic centres, opening up new opportunities for work, education and leisure, while we continue to deliver further improvements across the route in the months ahead.”

Mark Hopwood, GWR managing director, added: “We are confident that these new services demonstrate the value of rail in driving economic growth, environmental benefits, and creating education and employment opportunities.”

The first Bristol service leaves at 7:14am on a Monday, arriving into Swindon at 7:59am and Oxford at 8:32am. Travellers from Oxford to Bristol can catch the 7am, arriving into Swindon at 7:30am and Temple Meads at 8:20am.

“It was great to see GWR’s new daily two-hourly direct rail service between Swindon and Oxford departing the platform,” a spokesperson for Swindon Borough Council said.

“We hope that if the service proves popular trains will run every hour. Evidence gathered by England’s Economic Heartland demonstrates that improved east–west connectivity along the Swindon to Oxford corridor would deliver substantial economic, environmental and social benefits by strengthening labour mobility, supporting innovation, and reducing car dependency.”

Swindon Borough Council said a “strengthened” Swindon to Oxford link would “form a cornerstone” of a future Thames Valley transport strategy.

“[It would align] with wider ambitions for greater regional coordination and devolved transport powers,” they added.