Onboard Journey from Banbury to Oxford via the Cherwell Valley Line

Banbury opened as Banbury Bridge Street on September 2nd 1850 opened by the GWR at the time

Today managed by Chiltern Railways. It was renamed Banbury General in 1938 with the suffix being dropped in 1961 with the station layout in current form dating from a rebuild between 1953 and 1958.

4 through platforms today at Banbury with Platforms 1 and 4 used for through and terminating services. Chiltern Railways call here via Platforms 2 and 3 with stopping services terminating from London Marylebone in Platform 4.

CrossCountry Trains serve here as well

Great Western Railway provide 1 train every 2 hours from Didcot Parkway which terminate in either Platform 1 or 4.

Our train formed of a 2 car Class 165 Turbo departing from Platform 1 bound for Didcot Parkway covering the journey as far as Oxford.

1st station is Kings Sutton served by GWR and Chiltern stopping services. It originally opened in December 1873 by the GWR. It was renamed in November 1964 as Kings Sutton Halt however the suffix was dropped in May 1968. Managed by Chiltern Railways nowadays unstaffed and also being the least used station in Northamptonshire. .

At Aynho junction the Chiltern Main line diverges towards Bicester North whilst our route continues following the course of the Oxford Canal as far as Oxford

Aynho opened in 1850 which closed in November 1965 with the former station building left standing.

Fritwell & Somerton was opened in 1855 as Somerton before being renamed in 1906 as Somerton Oxon then Fritwell & Someton a year later although the reason for the renaming of the station was to avoid confusion of same name as Somerton in Somerset although closed in 1964.

The first stop on the Cherwell Valley Line is Heyford which is close to the nearby Oxford Canal and Heyford Wharf has little changed since opening of the line in 1850.

Tackley was a later addition opening on April 6th 1931 which serves the nearby village of Tackley.

The level crossing since 2012 can only be accessed on foot.

Between Hackley and Oxford there were 3 intermediate stations with Bletchington, Kidilington and Wolvercot Platform.

Bletchington closed in November 1964 to traffic and goods a year later now occupied by an industrial estate

A tragic accident near Shipton on Cherwell occurred on Christmas Eve 1874 when a train 13 carriages hauled by 2 engines bound for Birmingham Snow Hill derailed near the bridge crossing over the River Cherwell. 34 people died and 69 were injured.

Even today it remains one of the worst disasters on the Great Western Railway

Kidlington opened in 1852 as Woodstock Road which was renamed in 1890 at the same time when the Blenheim and Woodstock branch Line opened however the branch line closed in 1954 with track lifted in 1958 and then Kidlington closing 6 years later despite it being the largest village on the line outside Oxford.

Woodstock Junction as the Cotswolds Line via Worcester joins from the right was a former bridge to line the Buckinghamshire Junction railway dubbed the Yarnton Loop opened in April 1854 although closed in 1965 with the former Woodstock Road Crossing being replaced by the A34 bypass although the Level Crossing keepers lodge now being a private house.

Wolverton Platform had a short life opening in February 1908 and closed in January 1916

Reversing sidings at Oxford are used by hourly shuttle services from Didcot Parkway and hourly IETs from London Paddington.

And so our train arrives on Platform 3 at Oxford and after alighting here our train continues on the rest of it’s journey to Didcot Parkway.

Oxford was first opened on June 12th 1844 by the GWR which was located in Western Road, Granpont. Todays location of the through station dates from opening on October 1st 1852.

The station has been rebuilt several times first in 1971 by British Railways and again in 1990 with the present station building added along with footbridge by Network Southeast however the present footbridge along with Lifts date from 2011.

Chiltern Railways provide an Half Hourly service from London Marylebone via High Wycombe which terminate in platforms 1 and 2 most services are covered by Class 168s sometimes the odd occasional Class 165 turbo or Class 172s.

Most trains terminate here from Paddington head to the reversing sidings although some continue beyond here to Moreton-in-Marsh, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Great Malvern and Hereford.

CrossCountry Trains serve with services provided by 4 car Class 220s or 4 or 5 car Class 221 Voyagers.

Although the station is nowadays managed by Great Western Railway however still some of the old FGW signage still remains even today.

Music Used
JJD - Adventure
Music provided by NCS

Video link:
NoCopyrightSounds
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Filmed on Saturday Janaury 25th 2020 on iPhone 8 and edited on iMovie

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