Oxford Railway Station is expected to close on four weekends this autumn due to engineering work that is planned as part of Network Rail’s long-term plans to redevelop the station and surrounding area.
For students planning to arrive in Oxford by train for the start of the new academic year, these dates will likely coincide with your travel. We are notifying you so that you can make early arrangements for alternative travel.
Closure dates on arrival weekends
Work will take place on the below dates and times and the station will be closed entirely with no train services running to or from Oxford Station on these days. Services on other days of the week will not be affected.
- Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September
- Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September
- Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 September
- Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 October
Rail replacement services
During the four weekends that the station is closed, buses will replace trains in and out of Oxford. However, please allow plenty of time for your journey if you choose to use these alternative services, and check your planned route before setting off. If you are travelling from London to Oxford on these closure days, you might find it easier to use the Oxford Tube coach which has regular services to Oxford.
GWR, which is responsible for most services out of Oxford Station, will be running rail replacement bus services between Didcot Parkway, Oxford and Hanborough.
There will also be rail replacement buses for customers of Chiltern Railways and Cross Country, although these have not yet been announced in detail. A regular bus service between Oxford and Oxford Parkway station is also planned.
Check before you travel
It is important to ensure that information on any journey planner apps or websites is up to date and that you are also familiar with where any temporary bus stops are located. In some cases, these may be a short distance from the train station they are serving. Please contact the relevant train operator for your route for accessibility assistance you may require.
The National Rail Enquiries timetable app and website will be kept up to date with changes.
New International students arriving in Oxford via London airports or Eurostar
If you are arriving via the London airports or Eurostar terminal, you will find useful information on the International Students page of the Oxford Students website about getting to Oxford, and tips about making your onward journey to your college.
You can take one of the frequent Oxford airline coach services from the airports, or the Oxford Tube coach service if arriving by Eurostar, to avoid travelling via the railways.
If you are arriving at another UK airport, outside of London, you could look at other coach services to Oxford by National Express, or allow extra time for your journey if you choose to travel to Oxford by rail on these closure days to allow for rail replacement bus services.
Future works
The upgrade work taking place in September and October are part of the initial stage of Network Rail’s planned improvements to the station which are designed to increase its capacity so that it can accommodate more trains and passengers in future. This will include a new platform, a new secondary entrance to the station, and an upgrade of the rail bridge over the Botley Road to improve access for pedestrians and cyclists.
The Oxford Corridor Phase 2 page of the Network Rail website is expected to be updated over the coming weeks with further information, so please check back to keep up to date.