GWR again!!!

Thu 14 Sep 2023, 20:52

It’s late again - way hey! 

Wed 13 Sep 2023, 12:31

Alex, when engineering work takes place is in the hands of Network Rail, not GWR. 

In this case - and in other weeks when Cotswold Line trains stop running in mid-evening, Network Rail usually programmes a block of two, three or four nights in a row to carry out specific work on the track in various places between Oxford and Worcester (this week I believe it is in the Charlbury and Wychwoods areas) so there is no reason not to expect a full train service on Thursday or Friday evening. 

This page on the GWR website has information about what engineering work is coming up the rest of this year, plus detailed weekly pdf summaries with a map, running up to early November at the moment https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/travel-updates/planned-engineering

If you want a quick on-the-day summary of services, or to check if your train is running or has been disrupted, the GWR Journeycheck page has details of alterations, cancellations and improvement/engineering work at https://www.journeycheck.com/greatwesternrailway/ - other rail firms, including Chiltern and CrossCountry, also have Journeycheck pages available.

These pages are not foolproof, as they rely on being fed the correct information, but are usually pretty reliable.

And this is probably a good time to point out that during the half-term week, Charlbury is as far as trains to/from London and Oxford will be running from Monday, October 23, to Thursday, October 26, and that there will be timetable changes as well. Buses will replace trains between Charlbury and Moreton-in-Marsh for anyone wanting to travel in that direction. Full details of the train and bus times are available on rail journey planners.

Wed 13 Sep 2023, 07:49

Thursday appears (at this point according to the GWR app) to be back to “normal” but it doesn’t mean a thing as in my experience as GWR tend to change things as they see fit with practically no notice. 

Wed 13 Sep 2023, 07:34

19:47 not 19:46

Wed 13 Sep 2023, 07:28

As I and others found out last night (without any warning) there appear to be no trains from Oxford - Charlbury and beyond from around 19:46  this week owing to overnight engineering work. The minibus that they laid on meant I did not get home until around 10pm! My evening was trashed! It’s apparently going to be the same all week! I understand that work needs to be done but some advance notice would be nice at least on the days when industrial action isn’t taking place!