THERE are fears Oxford Parkway train station won't be able to cope with extra demand if the county prepares for the closure of key railway routes.

Routes linking Oxford to Didcot Parkway, Banbury and Hanborough will all be closed in the coming weeks as a number of improvements are carried out at the same time.

With Oxford Parkway to London Marylebone the only remaining route into London from the city - without getting a bus - commuters fear there could be major problems at the newly-built station in Kidlington from Monday morning. Chiltern Railways, which runs the route, has said it has thousands of extra seats available to prepare for an influx of extra passengers.

Chris Bates, of Cherwell Rail Users' Group, said: "There could be major capacity problems at Oxford Parkway as everyone will be bussed there during the work.

"The rail companies have done everything they can but it may not guard against chaos once the work starts."

Great Western Railway tickets will be valid on Oxford Parkway services and the connecting bus from Oxford station encouraging passengers to flock to the station north of Oxford.

Commuters have been advised to change their working hours or take annual leave as many of the county's key routes are set to close for two weeks. And with 850,000 season ticket-holders using trains from Oxford there are worries too many people will head to the Parkway station instead.

Mr Bates, who regularly commutes to London, either from Banbury or Oxford Parkway, said: "In the first week we could be ok but in the second week when Chiltern's timetable goes back to normal we could see major problems.

"It has been recommended that people take holiday or stagger their hours and avoid peak times but I don't know what the take up on that will be - it's not easy for everyone to do that."

Work to raise the tracks at Hinksey to protect against flooding will close the railway between Oxford and Didcot Parkway from this Saturday until Saturday August 14.

At the same time from this weekend until Sunday, August 7 the line between Oxford and Banbury will be closed for a week for signalling improvements and bridge repairs will shut the railway between Oxford and Hanborough for five days from Wednesday, August 3.

Passengers using Chiltern Railways services will also be affected with lines due to be closed from Oxford to Leamington Spa, Banbury and Bicester North between Saturday, July 30 and August 8.

Replacement buses will also be running from Oxford Parkway to Hanborough, attracting more people to the station.

Transport expert Hugh Jaeger said: “I think it is the right time to do the works, which are necessary.

"The line between Didcot and Oxford is Victorian and it needs upgrading.

"My concern is what Chiltern Railways will do.

"Will they have enough extra carriages to cope with the extra passengers from Oxford station?

"A lot of people who cannot get to Paddington will decide to get the train to Marylebone. Are Chiltern going to be ready?"

The rail operator said it had been working with Network Rail, Great Western Railway and Cross Country Railway to “minimise the impact” of the additional passengers.

Head of communications for Chiltern Railways Nicola Clark said: "We have got thousands of extra seats which will be available over the time period by having longer trains.

"One example is our silver service, which has eight carriages and can carry an extra 500 passengers.

“Through the work period we are putting two of those trains on at 7.01am and 7.34am.”

Network Rail communications manager, Matthew Thompson, defended the timing of the closures.

He said: "This time of year more people tend to be on holiday and also as it is flood work being carried out we had to be sure with the weather.

"It made sense because of the larger closures to combine the work we are doing between Oxford and Banbury as well."

"Some people have arranged with their employers to work at home for two weeks and others have just taken annual leave."

Rail replacement coaches will run between Oxford and Didcot Parkway every 12 minutes during the improvements with journeys expected to take between 30 and 40 minutes.

An additional hourly service will run between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway as well as two stopping services each hour into London.